Lyft is gearing up for an eventual Alberta launch
Although Calgary and Edmonton have had Uber for some time, the ridesharing company may have competition soon

TheStar.com
April 21, 2018
Helen Pike

There’s a new car-share company headed for Alberta’s big cities —eventually.

This according to a statement issued to StarMetro on Saturday from Lyft, the popular Uber alternative.

The car-sharing company, which largely serves the United States, began operating in Toronto late 2017. It also runs its service in Ottawa, Hamilton and other Ontario cities.

Online, Lyft is looking to hire a local marketing manager and general manager in both Calgary and Edmonton.

“We want to bring Lyft's affordable, reliable rides to Alberta and are beginning the process of building a team in anticipation of an eventual launch,” read a statement from Lyft spokeswoman Chelsea Harrison. “While both Calgary and Edmonton would be great fits for Lyft, we have no specific launch plans to share at this time.”

Uber had a stop-start launch in Calgary with an “illegal” start in October of 2015, which the city fought in court, successfully securing a court-ordered injunction to stop services. Then, in 2016, after the city had figured out bylaws and tweaked them, the service began operating.

This new tidbit comes at a time when the City of Calgary is reviewing its livery bylaws. Next week, councillors will debate changes like eliminating taxi registration fees and hiking minimum licensing fees for TNC drivers from $229 to $265.

“Lyft will offer consumers further choice in our market and add further competition,” said Coun. George Chahal. “We have a number of issues in the livery industry which we need to resolve to bring fairness back to the industry. We need to ensure we have a level playing field within the industry and over the next several months we will be conducting a full review.”

Administrative fees for the car-sharing companies could change from a $15 per driver fee to a $5,000 to $50,000 fee for companies depending on the number of drivers they have on board — shifting the onus to pay from those behind the wheel to the larger companies running apps.

Chahal said he’s bringing amendments to council on Monday, hoping to level the playing field for taxi drivers and ensure they can have a living wage.