WHITE Rock Council members have voted 6 to 1 in favour of a motion opposing the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board’s Operational Policy for licensing ride-hailing companies at a special meeting.
The resolution said that the PTB’s “Operational Policy: ‘Introduction of Transportation Network Services, 2019’” allows ride-hailing companies to unfairly compete against B.C.’s taxi companies for passengers, and without having to comply with the same onerous rules, restrictions and requirements that the board places on taxi companies.
It further said that the policy allows individual ride-hailing companies to operate unlimited numbers of vehicles, and not operate any “accessible” vehicles that are capable of accommodating wheelchairs and other needs of persons with mobility impairments, while at the same time the board severely restricts the numbers of vehicles that individual taxi companies may operate, and requires taxi companies to operate “accessible” vehicles that are capable of accommodating wheelchairs and other needs of persons with mobility impairments.
The Council resolved that the City of White Rock will expeditiously write to the PTB requesting that its Operational Policy for licensing ride-hailing companies be immediately withdrawn.
It also resolved that the City “will, in writing, request that the PTB facilitates a comprehensive, fulsome public consultation process wherein BC’s cities, municipalities, regional districts, public transit agencies, disabled persons’ advocacy organizations, and the general public are invited and enabled to provide their views as to the terms, restrictions and requirements that should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms by the PTB.”
The City will “expeditiously submit a late, emergency resolution” to the UBCM for debate and vote at the September 23-27 UBCM annual conference that “the UBCM opposes the British Columbia Passenger Transportation Board’s Operational Policy for licensing ride-hailing companies” and that “the UBCM will expeditiously write to the PTB requesting that its Operational Policy for licensing ride-hailing companies be immediately withdrawn.”
Also, “the UBCM will, in writing, request that the PTB facilitates a comprehensive, fulsome public consultation process wherein BC’s cities, municipalities, regional districts, public transit agencies, disabled persons’ advocacy organizations, and the general public are invited and enabled to provide their views as to the terms, restrictions and requirements that should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms by the PTB.”
