Hamilton to welcome ride-hailing service that seeks to reduce emissions

A new ride-hailing service with an environmentally conscious spin is set to hit Hamilton’s roads next month.

FaceDrive has secured the $5,000 city licence needed to put up to 25 cars on the road, most of which it hopes will be either electric or hybrid.

President Umar Farooq says the company will be the first ride-hailing service in the city to not only offer the option to passengers but to incentivize drivers to go green.

“If they bring these green vehicles to us, they’re getting a bigger payout,” said Farooq.

Drivers of hybrid or electric vehicles will bank 90 per cent of what they earn. Other companies, he said, take 25 per cent or more of the base fare from the driver just for using the platform.

While FaceDrive hopes to draw passengers who prioritize the environment, the fleet will also include fuel-based vehicles. Those drivers will still walk away with 85 per cent of what they earn.

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Farooq says the company is trying to offset those emissions by partnering on green initiatives in the cities where it offers service.

In Toronto, where FaceDrive is already operational, it is using an algorithm through its app to calculate an emissions estimate. Based on the estimate, the company makes a donation to the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation.

Farooq says generally, it works out to a few cents per trip in a gas-run vehicle. The money is used to help plant trees in the city to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The company is also looking at setting a goal as it expands to have more than 50 per cent of its fleet made up of electric and hybrid vehicles.

FaceDrive is in the process of developing projections on how this will impact greenhouse gas emissions in Hamilton, according to Farooq.

Their entrance into a steadily growing network of on-demand transit services comes at a time when emissions appear to be dropping but not fast enough to meet Canada’s commitment under the Paris climate change accord.

The latest report on greenhouse gas emissions shows that Canada needs to cut 187-million tonnes by 2030. That’s the same amount produced annually by 40.6-million passenger vehicles.

FaceDrive expects to launch in mid-November.