Uber, the global ride-hailing company, is looking to expand its ridesharing platform across B.C., including into Squamish, in the new year.
An Uber media release on Friday, Nov. 15, said in preparation for the move, it is looking to hire local drivers.
The company is offering a $500 incentive for eligible drivers who complete their profile and take 10 trips within the first four weeks of the 2025 launch.
For those interested in driving, they can go to uber.com/drive to learn more.
Drivers for Uber are independent contractors.
The release quotes a recent survey by Public First (and paid for by Uber Canada) that says 81% of Canadian riders say safety is an important reason why they choose to ride with Uber, and 77% say options like Uber help reduce impaired driving.
“British Columbians and visitors alike are constantly opening the app to try and find a ride just like they can in most cities across the country. It’s time that residents across the province have the same access to rideshare as they do in Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna to help get them where they need to go when they need to,” said Michael van Hemmen, general manager of mobility for Uber Canada, in the release.
“And for those with a safe driving record, a flexible opportunity to earn money on their own time. While the app will be available across the entire province, rides will only be available where drivers actively sign up and go online to do trips.”
In May 2023, Uber received approval from B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) for a licence transfer from Richmond-based ReRyde to operate across the province.
Uber launched in Victoria and Kelowna in June 2023.
Squamish Taxi concerned
Channi Sodhi, owner of Squamish Taxi, said it is sad to see big companies moving in and potentially displacing local businesses.
He noted that all of the 15 drivers who work for Squamish Taxi live in Squamish.
Sodhi lives in Squamish, raising his family here.
If companies like Uber come in, that threatens companies like his, he said.
He also noted that while taxi companies are very regulated, ride-hailing companies don’t have the same restrictions. For example, he said, an Uber driver can pick up a customer anywhere, whereas taxis have regions. So, if a Squamish taxi driver is in Vancouver, dropping off someone, he or she can’t then take local trips in that city.
“The governments are not being very fair to the taxi industry,” he said.
He also said that if there is an issue with a trip or a driver, there is someone local to address it immediately, whereas, with Uber, you are dealing with a large corporation without a headquarters here.
“We'll see. We will continue providing the service to our community, and then, as was my goal was since day one, community always comes first, and we will do whatever we could to keep the service alive,” he said.
More to come...
