After years of delays — the wait is over! Uber and Lyft will start picking up passengers in Vancouver today at 11 a.m.
On Thursday afternoon, B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board approved the operation of the ride-share giants in Metro Vancouver after months of delays.
Lyft is only operating within Vancouver city limits for now — but Uber has a larger service area, including the City of Vancouver, plus Coquitlam, Surrey, Delta, West and North Vancouver.
Uber rates in Vancouver released
Uber has announced its pricing structure for Vancouver:
- $2.50 base fare
- $2.00 booking fee
- .70 cents per kilometre
- .33 cents per minute
With those fees, it would cost around $15 to take a ride from Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver to Oakridge Centre at Cambie and West 41st Ave. (6.2 kilometre/13 minute trip).
Vancouver also has its own additional fees for ride-sharing vehicles. In October, the city approved the following fees for ride-share vehicles:
- 30 cent pick-up and drop-off fee (between 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.)
- $100 annual licensing fee for drivers
Uber and Lyft driver incentives
Both companies are offering big incentives for new drivers — Uber is advertising a guaranteed $800 in earnings for drivers who complete their first 100 trips.
Lyft is offering a $500 bonus for drivers who complete their first ride within 180 days of their application date, and 70 rides within the first 30 days.
Class 4 licence requirement for drivers
B.C. has posed a challenge to ride-sharing companies because of its Class 4 drivers license requirement.
Drivers will also need to complete a criminal record check, arranged through the RCMP or the local police detachment.
Drivers will need to have a four-door vehicle, 2010 or newer, that has a clean title (no rebuilt or salvage titles permitted).
Taxi cab industry “extremely concerned”
Carolyn Bauer, spokesperson for the Vancouver Taxi Association, told CBC Early Edition that the launch of Uber and Lyft in Vancouver “will be financially devastating for those who built their lives around the taxi industry.”
Bauer says issues include predatory pricing and unlimited fleet sizes. She says it’s unfair that ride-share companies are not regulated like the taxi industry.
