New Squamish ride-hailing service to debut in May

A new ride-hailing service will soon debut in Squamish but it is not one of the well-known stalwarts like Uber or Lyft.

The Canadian-based service, Whistle, will extend its service to Squamish starting on May 1, according to the service’s communications director Martin van den Hemel. 

Whistle is currently available in Whistler and Tofino, and intended to expand to Squamish before the pandemic, but COVID-19 slowed down the company’s plans.

“We're finally in a position to be able to expand our service area beyond Whistler to include Squamish,” said van den Hemel. 

He said that a lot of the drivers for the service are already based in Squamish and they have been hoping for expansion. 

When it comes to the rollout, van den Hemel said after the May 1 launch date, users will be able to book rides in and around Squamish through the dedicated app. He said users can also book rides throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor and Lower Mainland to places like Whistler or the airport, for example.

“We recognize that every community wants to have options … ride-hailing is just going to be added to that mix of transportation options,” he explained.

When asked if there would be any limitations, van den Hemel said they will have to monitor demand at the start and do their best to adjust and ensure they meet said demand.

He also said the company continues to look for interested drivers that have a Class 1, 2 or 4 licence, can pass a background check and who have their own car that is less than 10 years old or are willing to drive a company vehicle.

For more information about the ride-hailing service download its app or go to Whistle.ca.