The Passenger Transportation Board has approved the application from Green Coast Ventures Inc. to operate in B.C.
It’s the first ride-hailing service to receive the stamp of approval in the province.
The Passenger Transportation Board gave the company permission to operate in some parts of British Columbia including the lower mainland, Whistler and Vancouver Island, excluding the Capital Regional District.
The company says it wants to focus operations in resort communities like Whistler and Tofino as it says many B.C communities with seasonal demands don’t have a flexible taxi service that has full-time operations in mind.
It also plans to expand out to small towns such as Courtenay for the Mount Washington Alpine Resort and Parksville/Qualicum to assist with the growing senior population.
Minister of Transportation Claire Trevena says she, along with many others hope to see more approvals in the future.
“People want to see ride-hailing vehicles on the road as soon as possible, myself included. We are hoping to hear of more decisions in the very near future as we want to ensure people across British Columbia are served.”
“Many people are looking for decisions on the larger players and hope those come soon and I share their anticipation. Our government has worked hard to bring ride-hailing to BC in a responsible way and I look forward to seeing new services available to B.C very soon,” Trevena added.
The Passenger Transportation Board is continuing its review of the remaining 24 ride-hailing applications, including Lyft and Uber.
Both of those international companies are set to enter mediation with UFCW 1518 within the Labour Relations Board tomorrow to determine whether or not drivers would be considered employees or independent contractors.
