Pre-booked cabs not showing up: Will this problem be fixed with the arrival of ride-hailing in B.C.?

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Has this happened to you? People pre-booking cabs to take them to a wedding or a doctor’s appointment are learning there’s no guarantee those reservations will be honoured.

That’s expected to change when companies like Uber and Lyft are allowed to pick up customers in B.C.

A Green Party MLA who’s been working to speed up the arrival of ride-hailing services says good service may not be guaranteed in this industry, but it’s expected.

“The competition would apply pressure to the current status quo and bring out the best, I think, in both companies,” said Adam Olsen, Saanich North and the Islands MLA.

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He adds he’s surprised cab operators in B.C. are still getting so many complaints.

“I’m really shocked taxi companies haven’t used this space that the B.C. government has provided. Years of opportunity and a head start for taxi companies to get it right and they haven’t taken the advantage that they’ve been given.”

Olsen notes it is a customer service industry. “If you can’t get the customer service part right, that’s a very substantive challenge. The ride-hailing companies are very much built around this rating service and delivering good service.”

In one case on Friday, a woman was almost late for a medical appointment when the cab she ordered didn’t show up.

When we reached out to the company involved, we were told the cancellation may have been weather-related.

We’ve also heard several other stories about pre-booked cabs not showing up as scheduled.

“What I’m surprised at is that the taxi industry has not begun to adopt some of the practices that has made ride-hailing a very desirable choice for consumers and starting to, I think, undercut some of the things that ride-hailing has got right,” Olsen said.

He points to app-based services where customers have the option of choosing drivers and leaving them ratings.

“It’s very much a way for companies to be able to incent good customer service and be able to provide opportunities for their consumers to be able to deliver feedback to them in a very easy, informative way.”

A Vancouver-based cabbie who claims he’s constantly being stood up by would-be passengers says the frustration is mutual, especially on weekends.

“Out of ten, eight times it’s happening, it’s not there,” he told NEWS 1130. “So it happens lots of times. Sometimes I travel 7 km, 8 km, I lose my time, and then I go there, I find there’s nobody.”

The driver declined to give his name for fear of retribution from his employer. He says most cabbies who fail to pick up fares face disciplinary action, including having to sit idle for up to six hours.