A day after British Columbia announced requirements for ride sharing across the province, including a controversial requirement that all drivers must obtain Class 4 commercial licences, CTV News Vancouver caught up with Bowinn Ma, NDP MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, who spoke on behalf of BC's Transportation Minister.
Ma chaired an all-party legislative committee earlier this year that made 11 recommendations, which did not include the commercial licence requirement, but recommended no caps on vehicles for ride hailing companies, and that minimum prices be set so that they were no lower than the cost of public transit.
While Ma calls the issue of Class 4 licences "non-negotiable," but other decisions like fares, caps on fleet size and where ride hailing companies will be allowed to pick up will be left to B.C.'s independent Passenger Transportation Board, which began consultations on Tuesday.
While the board will begin accepting applications from companies like Uber and Lyft starting September 6, Ma said she was confident British Columbians would be able to hail a ride "by the end of the year."
