Uber sets launch date for Victoria, Kelowna
Ride-hailing giant Uber has finally announced its start date for two major B.C. cities.
Uber will begin operating in Victoria and Kelowna on Tuesday, June 6.
The service goes live at noon for riders and drivers.
Uber arrives in Victoria and Kelowna – as well as Chilliwack – following years of trying to break into the market.
Uber had applied several times to operate in these regions, but was denied by the B.C. Passenger Transportation Safety Board (PTB), which said there was not enough demand for the service, and that local taxi and ride-hailing companies needed more time to recover from the pandemic.
In 2022, Uber changed tactics and applied for a licence transfer from another ride-hailing company, Vancouver-based ReRyde, which had already been approved to operate in these areas.
The approval process for a licence transfer is much more lenient than approval of a new licence altogether, and on May 10 the PTB approved the licence transfer.
In its decision, the PTB said the licence transfer application received "significant interest" from local stakeholders, such as taxi companies and other ride-hailing operators.
Many argued against the licence transfer, saying that Uber was circumventing the PTB's previous decision, and that it couldn't make a proper business case since it was taking over the licence of a ride-hailing company that had yet to begin operating in Victoria and Kelowna.
Meanwhile, some submissions voiced support, such as Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, which said that Uber provided another means of transportation for people who are impaired, and the Victoria International Airport, which said not enough transportation options were available in the city.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.