Right now there are just over one hundred taxi cabs in the central Okanagan. However, a provincial announcement this week that ridesharing companies could be operating in British Columbia before the end of the year means they may soon be facing new competition from services like Uber and Lyft.
Some Kelowna cab drivers are actually welcoming the change.
One taxi driver even told Global News he will switch to driving for a ridesharing service if one starts operating in Kelowna.
However, other taxi drivers worry about the impact on their business.
“It’s going to cut into our business and we are going to struggle,” taxi driver Jason Sichello said.
“We struggle to make a living as it is.”
One driver argued that if cabbies can no longer make money, when there is more competition, some might leave the industry all together, and that may mean fewer options for riders.
The province is trying to ease the blow to the taxi industry by promising changes to insurance that may cut costs for drivers and pledging funds for a taxi app, among other things.
On the streets of Kelowna some welcomed the change but others were indifferent. Meantime, a group of tourists, who had already unsuccessfully tried to use a ridesharing app during their visit to Kelowna, were frankly surprised the service is not already offered here.
While the province says ride sharing is coming to B.C. by the end of the year, whether that will include the Okanagan is unclear. Neither Uber nor Lyft could provide any specifics about launch plans in the region.