The sa国际传媒 government is on the right track with its determination to ensure Uber drivers are properly licensed and regulated, but it should not use regulations to block a service if there is a demand for it.
Uber is a ride-sharing service that uses a smartphone app to link passengers with drivers who use their own cars. All payment is done online and Uber takes a percentage of the fare.
Understandably, taxi and limousine services are concerned that such services will cut into their business. The threat is real, especially if ride-share services do not abide by the same regulations and credentials required of taxi services.
Uber does not operate in Victoria. It briefly operated in Vancouver in 2012, but stopped because of a dispute over licensing and fees. The company, which operates in 200 cities around the world, has not confirmed if and when it will return to Vancouver.
Nevertheless, Transportation Minister Todd Stone has 鈥渄ozens of undercover enforcement officers鈥� standing by in case Uber launches in Vancouver, or in any other sa国际传媒 community, without the licensing and approvals required of other taxi services.
Said Stone: 鈥淲e are going to ensure as we pay very close attention to Uber that if we actually begin to receive reports that they are operating in any community in sa国际传媒, we will have enforcement officers that will descend upon those communities 鈥� and in an undercover manner they will use the app and ensure that drivers are properly licensed. And if they are not licensed, they will be fined.鈥�
Fair enough. Uber should not expect to operate in contravention of provincial or local regulations, but Stone鈥檚 black-ops approach sounds as if he鈥檚 trying to ward off the invasion of an evil alien species, instead of accommodating a consumer-driven change. He says he has started a discussion with the taxi industry to see if requirements need to be changed. And NDP Leader John Horgan said his party will propose legislation to increase fines to protect the taxi industry.
They鈥檝e got it backwards. Regulations are supposed to benefit the public, first and foremost. Yes, the government should consult the taxi industry, but it should also consult the public. If ride-sharing is successful, it鈥檚 because people want it. Governments and the taxi industry should sit up and take notice of what works. They should work with the trends, instead of against them.
Ignoring innovation is dangerous for any industry. You risk getting left behind 鈥� imagine a freight company in the early 20th century that was not willing to switch from horses to trucks.
In the 21st century, innovation happens at a dizzying pace. It is not reasonable to expect government to react instantly to every new gadget or process with regulatory changes, but nor should the laws get too far behind. The laws shouldn鈥檛 keep insisting on the use of horse-drawn wagons when motorized trucks are widely available.
Technology increasingly lets consumers be in control, and they know it. A system that allows a person to use a smartphone app to get a ride within a few minutes is attractive. Yes, safeguards should be in place 鈥� drivers should be qualified and have criminal-record checks, their vehicles should be safe and clean. Reasonable licensing fees and taxes should be paid. Proper insurance should be carried.
Uber and companies like it should not expect to be able to set up operations in sa国际传媒 unhindered by regulation. But neither should the government cling to outmoded regulations that resist innovation and restrict consumers鈥� choices.
Ride-sharing could be a game-changer. Rather than fighting it, the government and the taxi industry should find ways to embrace the concept.
