Canucks owner tweets out 15 compelling arguments for rideshare
While the issue of when (and how) rideshare will finally be available in BC continues to slowly play out, the owner of the Vancouver Canucks isn’t wasting any time letting people know where he stands on the issue.
See also
- Canucks partner with ridesharing company despite no rideshare in BC
- Final government report on BC rideshare recommends no Class 4 licence requirement
- BC transportation minister would 'love' rideshare rollout to be faster
In a 15-tweet series, Francesco Aquilini lays out his reasoning as to why he would like to see rideshare in BC – and Vancouver in particular – sooner rather than later.
He recognizes that some might think his eagerness to see rideshare on the roads comes from the team’s recent partnership with Lyft, noting that “some think it’s because I’ve invested in Lyft and Uber. (I haven’t.)”
Aquilini then proceeds to offer up his thoughts on the situation.
1. I’ve often been asked why I support ridesharing in BC. Some think it’s because I’ve invested in Lyft and Uber. (I haven’t.)
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
2. Here’s why. The scramble for cabs after events at Rogers Arena is nuts. In other NHL cities, the crowd dissipates quickly as people use Lyft and Uber.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
3. Same at the airport. At LAX, or LaGuardia, or Pearson in Toronto, your driver’s there in 3 or 4 minutes. At YVR, when multiple flights arrive at the same time, people sometimes wait 30-45 minutes for a cab.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
4. Ridesharing has been shown to reduce drunk driving. That’s why Mothers Against Drunk Driving supports it.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
5. Ridesharing connects people to public transit. That why Translink supports it.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
6. Ridesharing is convenient. You don’t have to use cash or take out your credit card.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
7. Ridesharing is cost-effective for passengers, and it lets drivers earn income on their own flexible schedules.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
8. In short, I support ridesharing because it makes a city better. Every other major North American city recognizes that, which is why they’ve adopted it—in most cases, years ago!
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
9. I did an informal poll a few months back. Almost 90% of respondents supported ridesharing in BC. Those were voters sending a message, loud and clear, to their elected representatives.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
10. The government has said we’ll have ridesharing by the end of this year. But then the Transportation Minister said she would only support it with a Class 4 licence—despite an all-party committee recommending a Class 5 licence just last week!
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
11. Most of us will only ever need a Class 5 licence. (A Class 4 licence is required to drive a bus, ambulance, taxi, or special vehicle for transporting disabled people.)
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
12. Getting a Class 4 licence is expensive and time-consuming. This requirement would discourage drivers from signing up and would lead to longer wait times and higher prices for passengers. It would probably keep Lyft and Uber from setting up shop here.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
13. We’ve been promised ridesharing for years. Will the government listen to voters, or again cater to the taxi lobby?
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
14. By the way, true story—not long ago a couple of senior Lyft executives, in town for meetings, came to see me at Rogers Arena. I asked how they’d got to the arena.
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
15. They said they walked all the way from their last meeting because there was a half-hour wait for a taxi!
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) April 1, 2019
Aquilini’s comments come on the heels of a report from an all-party committee tasked with putting together a report on the future of rideshare in BC, which was released last week.
The report recommends a total of 11 steps for the provincial government to take as part of the process in finally making rideshare a reality in BC.
Among the recommendations is the requirement that all rideshare drivers hold a valid Class 5 license, as opposed to Transportation Minister Claire Trevena’s desire for all drivers to hold a Class 4 license – the same license required of taxi drivers.
In its report, the committee said members agreed that ensuring safety “is paramount.”
However, members were also uncertain of whether or not the Class 4 licensing process “actually produces safer drivers.”
In an interview with Daily Hive last fall, Trevena cited the need for safety as the reason she would like to see all drivers hold the Class 4.
“If you’re going to be earning money through driving people from place-to-place, you need to make that investment so that you can show you are safe,” said Trevena. “Anyone getting in as a passenger wants to know that the driver is as safe as possible.”
On Tuesday, BC Green MLA and member of the Select Standing Committee Adam Olsen said British Columbians “have waited far too long for ride-hailing services.”
Now he said, is “the time for action.”
Other recommendations from the report included issues around fare regimes, boundaries, and supply.
Follow Channels and Categories