Ride hail firms can apply to operate in B.C. Sept. 3, ahead of late fall launch

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government has set up a of series rules and regulations as it opens the door to riding hailing applications for the service on Sept. 3.

There’s no exact day when riding hailing could start in the province and opinion varies from mid-September to as late as the end of the year.

New Democrat Bowinn Ma, who heads an all-party committee that deals with ride hailing, says the service could start by year’s end, while a Transportation Ministry bureaucrat says the  companies could be approved to operate as early as Sept. 16.

Ma says new regulations require transportation network companies to pay $5,000 annual licence fees, charge 30 cents per ride on vehicles that don’t have access for disabled passengers and drivers must wear seatbelts at all times.

The government says an annual inspection is needed if the vehicle has logged 40,000 kilometres in the  previous year, vehicles can’t be older than 10 years and illegal operators could face fines of $100,000.

Ma says regulations about fares and routes will come later this summer.

Uber Canada spokesman Michael van Hemmen says the ride hailing company will review the B.C. policy to evaluate it impacts on the ability to serve customers.

The Canadian Press