Forcing potential Uber or Lyft drivers to upgrade to a Class 4 driver's licence is going to keep BC the laughing stock of North America when it comes to ride sharing, according to one Kelowna city councillor.
"It's a joke," said Ryan Donn in response to the legislation brought forward by the Transportation Minister.
Claire Trevena went against a committee's recommendations and made a commercial driver's license a requirement in the long awaited legislation.
"That alone may even hamper the ability to have the app in the region," said Donn. "By restricting the licensing requirements, we're going to restrict the number of people that sign up."
He said it could keep places like Kelowna lagging behind in a way that's hard to explain to anyone drawn here by our focus on technology.
"British Columbians absolutely want more options and flexibility in how they get around," said Trevena in announcing the legislation, "but with checks in place to make sure their ride is a safe one.”
But Donn and other critics see it as the province caving to the pressure from the taxi industry.
"We have our innovation building," he argued, "but you cannot use an app that's known worldwide in Kelowna?"
And he said it's more than a question of convenience.
"There's no option for a safe ride home right now in the evening," he insists.
"We had our City of Kelowna staff party," he recalled, "everybody got their taxi coupons, but nobody could actually use them."
Despite the criticism, the government expects to see companies take advantage, and people hailing rides by the end of the year.
