BC Liberals table motion calling for ride-hailing by year's end

Globalnews.ca
Oct. 23, 2017
By Liza Yuzda

The NDP government is taking more fire over its ride-hailing policy, with the opposition BC Liberals firing the latest salvo on Monday.

The Liberals have introduced a new private members motion asking the legislature to support the implementation of services like Uber by the end of 2017.

Earlier this month, the NDP said it was commissioning a new study of the taxi industry, and that ride-hailing services wouldn't arrive in the province for at least a year.

"Get on with ridesourcing to give people with few transportation options another option so that they can get home safely," said Liberal transportation critic Jordan Sturdy on Monday.

But NDP MLA Nicolas Simons said the Liberals had years to bring in ridesharing, but didn't.

"They have time to think about the fact that they waited so long," he said.

"We're going to get to it, we're going to do it within the year. We promised that and I'm glad that we're moving ahead on this file with the proper due process."

Liberal interim leader Rich Coleman said last week at least his party hadn't promised ride-hailing by the end of the year.

But it did. Back in March, the party promised to have the services in place by the 2017 holiday season.

While the Liberals are going on offence on the file, they're not promising to back ride-hailing legislation tabled by the Green Party last week.

The Liberals and Greens would have enough votes together to pass that bill, however the NDP would have to call it for a vote.