Add Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay to the growing chorus of Metro Vancouver voices calling for a fast track on ride-hailing services like Uber.
Speaking on CKNW’s The Jill Bennett Show on Sunday, Clay said a lack of transportation options is unfairly hurting residents of Metro Vancouver’s smaller municipalities.
That’s in part, according to Clay, because transit options shut down overnight.
He also said residents of Metro Vancouver suburbs like Port Moody face more challenges using taxis because there are fewer cabs on the streets and cabs from other cities making drop-offs in the suburbs are prohibited from making pickups for the return trips.
WATCH: NDP government announces yet another ride-hailing study
Suburban residents looking to get home after a night out downtown also face bigger transportation hurdles, he said.
“When we need it the most is when the service is sort of available the least, and that’s why I think it’s a very different experience when you’re out here and it’s a longer drive for the cabs and they’re not willing to do it,” Clay said.
The lack of options, Clay said, increases the potential for impaired driving.
“Where the Uber and the taxi problems kick in is late at night when people have potentially been drinking and driving. We certainly don’t want anyone doing that.”
The provincial government has hired an industry expert to consult with the taxi industry and create a “made in B.C.” solution for ride-hailing.
That report is due early next year, with a potential timeline for implementation not due until at least next fall.
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