San Francisco: Ride-hailing giant Uber has started its official rides and app in Vancouver, British Columbia, making it the last major city in North America to get the cab-hailing services.
This isn’t the first attempt that the ride-hailing giant has made to operate in Vancouver. The city was one of the first target markets outside of the US during the company’s expansion in 2012.
However, the British Columbia Passenger Transportation Board, an independent tribunal that makes licensing decisions for commercial passenger-directed vehicles, informed Uber that it would need to charge a minimum of $75 per trip, the same as other chauffeur services, which caused the company to exit the market, wccftech reported on Saturday.
It is pertinent to note that people in Vancouver, BC can hail rides from San Fransisco headquartered Lyft, too.
The approvals technically cover the whole of the Lower Mainland and the skiing destination of Whistler, BC, although that wider permission only allows for drop-offs.
The companies only have permission to pick up passengers in Vancouver.
Most other cities in the region (including Burnaby and Richmond) expect to offer licenses soon, though, with Surrey being the notable exception, according to Engadget.