First Surrey, now Delta: City councillor to put forward motion asking to halt arrival of ride-hailing

DELTA (NEWS 1130) – First it was Surrey, and now a city councillor in Delta is voicing opposition for ride-hailing regulations as set out by the Passenger Transportation Board.

Former Mayor Lois Jackson is planning to present a motion next week to stop the arrival of ride-hailing in that community.

In her motion, she says the Transportation Board’s regulations “will allow ride-hailing firms to compete against British Columbia’s taxi companies for passengers without having to comply with the same onerous rules, restrictions and requirements that the P.T.B. requires taxi companies to comply with,” if implemented as is.

Jackson points out taxi companies are obligated to have wheelchair accessible vehicles in their fleet, while that’s not the case for companies like Uber and Lyft.

Among her concerns, Jackson says the P.T.B. didn’t consult with B.C.’s municipalities or allow them to “express their views to the P.T.B. as to what terms, restrictions and requirements should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms.”

Her motion says the Board also did not consult with public transit agencies, the general public, or groups that advocate for people with disabilities and the elderly.

“THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Delta opposes the British Columbia Passenger Transportation Board’s Operational Policy for ride-hailing companies,” the motion reads, adding “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the City of Delta will expeditiously write to the P.T.B. requesting that its Operational Policy for ride-hailing companies be withdrawn.”

Jackson wants the city to request that the Passenger Transportation Board conduct a “comprehensive, fulsome public consultation” with the province’s communities, and would like for the City of Delta to submit an emergency resolution to the Union of B.C. Municipalities to discuss the matter later this month.

This comes just days after Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum promised ride-hailing wouldn’t come to his city. However, the province has reaffirmed that municipalities don’t have the power to stop it.

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