Opposition to ridehailing in Surrey won’t matter once service made available, Liberal MLA says
Posted December 13, 2019 1:15 pm.
Last Updated December 13, 2019 1:16 pm.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – He can push back against ride hailing all he wants, but Liberal MLA Jas Johal says Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum’s opposition won’t matter once the service is available region-wide.
Johal says enforcement to catch drivers crossing city boundaries will be tricky, and notes black market drivers serving the Asian community have already shown little regard for whether regulations are in place are not.
“Have they been able to stop that? No they haven’t. It’s been open season for a few years now,” he tells NEWS 1130, adding the black market ridehailing sector in the local Asian community is now a $20-million industry. “Last year it was $10-million. So, it shows you it’s going to be very difficult for municipalities or the PTB to stop this.”
Read more: Surrey only hold-out as Metro Vancouver mayors streamline ride-hailing licensing
Johal — who sat on a legislative committee covering ridehailing — adds it’ll be difficult for local municipalities to keep drivers from scooping up fares.
His comments come just a day after the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation voted to let ridehailing operators pick and up and drop off customers across the region, without forcing each municipality to approve a separate licence.
McCallum cast the lone vote in opposition to the motion, saying it would harm the taxi industry.
Johal argues the regulatory process is being slowed by the NDP and its allies.
“Whether it be unions that are trying to stop ridehailing, or whether it be the NDP farm team — meaning city councillors and mayors sticking their nose in this when they don’t need to.”
His comments come after Lyft revealed its pricing structure, which would include a $5 flat rate, on top of per kilometre and per minute rates. Johal says local red tape is only going to push up prices for the service, which he notes is traditionally around 25 per cent cheaper than a cab.
.@lyft has released rider pricing for Metro Vancouver. Taking a Lyft will cost you a minimum of $5. @Uber not releasing pricing until the PTB gives it an operating licence. @CityNewsVAN@NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/eCn30ZCLWF
— Travis Prasad (@TravisPrasad) December 13, 2019
“If the municipalities decide to bring in onerous regulations, particularly in regards to fees, I think most respectable companies would just say ‘we’re not going to operate in that municipality.’ This has to work financially for these companies,” he adds.
He also notes raising prices will stifle local representation in the ridehailing market, leaving only the larger companies like Uber and Lyft behind.
