Starting Tuesday, people travelling to and from Kelowna, B.C.’s airport can now use Uber.
A designated location for ride-hailing has been set up at the north end of the terminal at Kelowna International Airport.
In a press release from the ride-hailing service, representatives said people can also reserve a trip up to 90 days ahead.
“We are excited to have Uber available at YLW to provide an additional transportation option for passengers at the airport,” Sam Samaddar, YLW chief executive officer, said in a press release.
“By offering more transportation choices, we aim to provide passengers with the flexibility and control they need to plan their travel to and from the terminal.”
Uber has had approval to be up and running in Kelowna since May 2023.
Uber submitted a request to the Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) in late August 2022 to take over the licence of ReRyde, a ride-hailer that was granted a licence to operate in areas outside of the Lower Mainland in August 2020.
At the time, company officials said the expectation was that the service would be up and running by Christmas, offering holiday revellers a safe option to travel.
That didn’t turn out to be the case and it appears that it’s due to the significant volume of blowback, according to the decision published online on Wednesday. It notes that 40 groups, including taxi companies and other ride-sharing operations, some of which were accompanied by legal counsel, voiced their opposition to the applications.
Whether they were in Victoria or Kelowna, one of the main issues was that they claimed the inclusion of Uber in their markets would have negative economic repercussions.