Uber sticking to Vancouver timeline despite BC government uncertainty
Posted June 5, 2017 3:31 pm.
Last Updated June 5, 2017 3:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As British Columbians wait to see what shape the provincial government takes over the next few weeks, the operators of a major ride-hailing service are still expecting to set up in the province by the end of this year.
Uber Canada’s Susie Heath wasn’t available for comment, but she has issued a statement suggesting the Liberals, New Democrats and Greens all promised to make ride-hailing services available by the end of 2017.
Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs says that’s doubtful because we don’t know yet who’s in charge in Victoria.
“We don’t have a provincial government really at this stage, so it’s pretty difficult to predict,” he says.
Meggs, who has been one of the most outspoken critics of Uber, also says so-called price surging in London over the weekend is driving customers away.
“There are other ride-sharing companies out there who’ve tried to take a lesson from this,” he says. “Lyft, which is only operating in the United States, sometimes will send its cars for free to trouble spots.
“Uber has run into these problems on a number of occasions, including in New York when there was a demonstration against Trump’s immigration legislation. Uber seemed to take advantage of that by driving up prices.”
Uber officials admit charges were initially jacked up during Saturday night’s violence in London, but say what they call ‘dynamic pricing’ was quickly halted and drivers started giving people free rides out of the danger zone.
