Uber, Lyft launch in Vancouver

That was fast.

Less than a day after being approved to operate in the Lower Mainland, Uber and Lyft have launched their apps and are offering rides in Vancouver.

The apps went live at 8 a.m.

In an email Thursday, Uber broke down when and where drivers are expected to see the most business, including peak rush hour times and Friday and Saturday nights up to 2 a.m.

“We expect that busy downtown neighbourhoods will include Yaletown, Gastown and the Granville Strip,” Uber’s email said.

The announcement came after the City of Vancouver issued business licences to both Uber and its main competitor Lyft the same day both companies were approved to operate by the Passenger Transportation Board (PTB).

The city said it has been informed by Lyft that it has 388 standard vehicles and 23 zero-emission vehicles ready to hit the roads, but no timeline has been given for when that company will start operating.

Uber did not give numbers on their fleet size to the city Thursday.

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While the PTB’s approval allows Uber and Lyft drivers to operate throughout the Lower Mainland and Whistler, only Vancouver had issued business licences as of Thursday night.

That means drivers will only be able to pick up passengers within Vancouver’s borders, although they will be allowed to drop customers off across the region.

Other municipalities, including Burnaby, Richmond and the Tri-Cities have business licences ready to go for ride-hailing companies, while the North Shore and New Westminster are waiting for a regional business licence to be created.

TransLink Mayors’ Council chair Jonathan Cote said that framework should be ready by early February, but will have to be approved by each municipality in Metro Vancouver.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum was the sole dissenting vote against the region-wide licence, and has vowed to not welcome Uber or Lyft into the city.