THE Vancouver Taxi Association (VTA) has informed the Passenger Transportation Branch that it recently entered an agreement with Kater to use its app-based technology in some taxis in the Lower Mainland, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The ministry says that through the Passenger Transportation Branch it is taking steps to ensure that all current provincial and licensing requirements are met including a regular, government approved safety inspection of the vehicles, insurance that will cover the carrying of paying passengers and compliance with licence boundaries and other requirements until the fall of 2019 when new regulations will come into force that will allow ride-hailing companies to enter the market.

Between October and December 2018, the Passenger Transportation Board, an independent tribunal, approved additional taxis to operate in Metro Vancouver. This was a short-term action undertaken by the Board  as part of the taxi modernization process to allow taxi companies to increase their taxi fleets by 15%, one of three short-term action items recommended by Dr. Dan Hara to increase the number of taxis on the road to better meet consumer demand, according to the statement.

More information is available at: https://www.ptboard.bc.ca/modernization.htm