The provincial Liberal party has announced it intends to bring ride-hailing services to B.C. in time for the 2017 holiday season.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said public consultations conducted over the past year have made clear there is an appetite for alternatives to traditional taxis.
"I think many British Columbians find it somewhat odd that we're one of the last major metropolitan areas in North America that doesn't yet have ride-sharing," Stone said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
"What we've heard loud and clear is that any changes we introduce in British Columbia will need to address the public's desire for more choice."
The delayed rollout is intended to give ride-hailing companies and taxi companies a chance to respond to the government's proposed changes, Stone said.
Included in the plan are measures designed to protect the taxi industry, which, in its current state, would undoubtedly face new challenges competing with services such as Uber and Lyft.
Peter Fassbender, the minister responsible for the file, said the Liberals are offering $1 million to help cab companies develop a shared dispatch app to make traditional taxis more accessible.
"The province is prepared, as part of wanting to keep the industry competitive, to provide them with that support," he said.
The proposal would also remove the municipal boundaries for taxis and give cab drivers exclusive rights to street hailing and taxi stands.
Ride-hailing companies would face the same safety standards as taxis, which require, among other things, that vehicles undergo regular mechanical inspections and drivers pass criminal record checks and safe-driving checks.
Fassbender said other cities have welcomed taxi alternatives too quickly and ended up facing unexpected consequences.
"When we started this we made a commitment to the taxi industry, to drivers, to various organizations that we were going to do it right," Fassbender said.
"We're not rushing in to putting legislation on the table today. We're putting a framework, we're wanting additional feedback from everyone to make sure whatever we do put in legislation is bathed in good feedback and good solid information."
If the Liberals want to satisfy the taxi industry, however, there appears to be much work to do. The Vancouver Taxi Association described the government's plan as a betrayal that will threaten the livelihoods of thousands of drivers.
"I was absolutely taken back by this. This is unacceptable," said association spokesperson Carolyn Bauer.
"We are going to do everything politically and legally [that we can] to fight this."
Aside from the industry's concerns, there has been some criticism raised about Uber's practice of surge pricing – raising rates at times when demand is high – which was allegedly implemented during a terror attack in Sydney, Australia.
The government has promised there will be "appropriate safeguards" in place to ensure ride-share pricing is fair and transparent.
Following Tuesday's announcement, Uber issued a statement calling the move a step forward and urging all political parties to commit to bringing ride-hailing into the province this year.
"From Vancouver to Victoria, Kelowna to Prince George, British Columbians want and need access to more safe, affordable, reliable transportation options," spokesperson Susie Heath said in an email.
NDP leader John Horgan said if he's elected, his party will not follow through on the Liberals’ plan as presented. Instead, he said the NDP would restart the consultation process with a focus on treating the existing taxi industry fairly.
"Small businesses… have invested many, many, many thousands of dollars to keep their industries going, and now the Liberals have come in and instead of levelling the playing field they tossed over the table, created chaos," Horgan said.
Horgan said he agrees that taxis should be able to pick-up and drop-off customers anywhere, but that the province also needs more cabs on the road.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Scott Roberts and Bhinder Sajan
