If left unchecked, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft may disproportionately contribute to increasing congestion, vehicle travel and other issues observed in other jurisdictions.
That’s according to TransLink’s submission to the government’s Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, which is providing recommendations on implementing ride-hailing services.
A recent report for the regional district’s Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation notes that TransLink’s position is that any regulatory framework needs to strike a balance to meet important regional public interests objectives. Those objectives include leveraging public assets to complement existing, publicly funded local and regional transit and transportation services and infrastructure.
TransLink noted several concerns including the approach of applying vehicle/driver caps and narrow service boundaries, saying they could create distortions in available supply, with more drivers/services concentrating on select areas. The impacts could include increasing congestion, resulting from vehicles ‘dead-heading’ back to their home jurisdiction, according to TransLink.
TransLink suggested “a more balanced-driven, market-driven regulatory approach.”
The report also notes that the region’s Mobility Joint Committee reviewed the recommendations and “concurred with the advice that the current proposal by the provincial government is likely to not achieve the full promise of ride-hailing for customers and could negatively impact the region’s transportation system.”
TransLink will report back to the Mayors’ Council on the final proposed operating regulations.
Last fall, the province introduced legislation that will eventually open the door for ride-hailing, but services like Uber or Lyft won’t be allowed until at least later this year.
The Passenger Transportation Board was given the authority to determine rates charged to passengers as well as the operating areas for taxis and ride-hailing companies.
A Delta staff report last year noted that in addition to safety issues, there’s other issues that need sorting out, such as ICBC coverage. The province says ICBC is developing an insurance package to facilitate ride-hailing services.
