In a strange turn of events, the Transportation Minister of British Columbia, Mr. Todd Stone, has stated that he will not be making any changes to the legislation concerning the potential licensing of ride sharing services, such as Uber. Mr. Stone has stated that, within a “matter of time”, he expects Uber to be fully operational within Vancouver and that existing legislative frameworks should accommodate Uber:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/uber-canada-calls-concerns-misinformed-1.3414689
The above noted article, however, also cites previous statements from Mayor Gregor Robertson and Councillor Geoff Meggs that the current legislation is not set up to handle a ride sharing service. It would seem as though both the Provincial and Municipal levels of government are accusing the other of not making it possible for ride sharing services to operate. Mr. Stone’s current stance also seems in opposition to previous statements by him that Uber drivers would require taxi licenses to operate:
Perhaps Mr. Stone is suggesting that it is up to the city to create a licensing scheme for individual Uber drivers. The city of Vancouver has a long history of severely limiting taxi license numbers in the face of growing demand. As such, it’s unlikely they will be providing individual licenses to Uber drivers on a large scale. Meanwhile, Uber themselves have stated that they believe no process exists for ride sharing companies to apply for proper licensing:
Uber’s future in Vancouver seems very uncertain, with both the Provincial and Municipal levels of government pointing fingers at the other for being responsible for any restrictions on Uber’s ability to operate within Vancouver.
