Though it has yet to get the green light to operate in Victoria, ride-hailing giant Uber is holding an event in Victoria next week aimed at attracting potential drivers.
The outreach session for anyone interested in driving under the Uber banner is scheduled for 1-7 p.m. Monday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort. Uber sa国际传媒 spokesperson Keerthana Rang said the company will answer questions from any drivers interested in the gig.
The question is when that gig might start.
Uber had hoped to be in business in Victoria by Christmas after it applied to the Passenger Transportation Board for a licence transfer that would allow it to assume an existing operating licence for Victoria and Kelowna.
Richmond-based ReRyde Technologies is expected to hand over its licence to operate a ride-hailing service here this fall, when the Passenger Transportation Board approves the move.
Rang said there is no update at this point on the licence transfer application. “Timing depends on the PTB, but we want to be ready,” he said. “So that’s why we are hosting in-person events next week.”
A similar driver-outreach event will also be held in Kelowna.
ReRyde, which was given its licence to operate in the summer of 2020, never actually ran its service in Victoria. It was given approval to operate in every region of sa国际传媒 other than the Lower Mainland and Whistler.
There seems to be little that would stop the licence transfer. According to the board, an independent tribunal that considers applications for taxi, bus, limousine and ride-hailing services, it only considers whether the licence-transfer applicant — Uber in this case — is fit and capable of providing the service.
The board does not assess whether the application addresses public need or promotes sound economic conditions, since those criteria were considered when the licence was first granted to ReRyde.
Uber, which has operated on the Lower Mainland and in Whistler since January 2020, applied for a licence to operate in Victoria in the summer of 2021 but the application was turned down in December.
At the time, the board said there was a lack of public need, and Uber’s presence in the market could harm smaller operators and taxis.
Uber argues that conditions have since changed and demand for services has returned as pandemic restrictions have been relaxed.
The Passenger Transportation Board has approved six ride-hailing licences for Victoria. Only one has ever been in use — Lucky To Go, which continues to operate.
