Report from all-party legislative committee on ride-hailing in BC is due this week

BC NDP re-commits to $15/hr. minimum wage, but it could affect ride-hailing services

NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Plans to raise the minimum wage in BC might not be welcomed by ride-hailing services that are expected to be approved and operating in this province sometime soon.

A condition of approval might include ensuring drivers are fairly paid and complaints have been filed in other jurisdictions about drivers not being properly compensated.

The operators of Uber recently agreed to pay up to $3 million to a group representing more than 2,400 drivers in New York who threatened legal action.

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BC’s Labour Minister Harry Bains says, right now, ride-hailing remains illegal in BC, but he’s committed to ensuring all drivers in the industry can make a decent living.

“There is an all-party committee [which] is about to deliver what they’ve learned and we’ll see what they recommend. At the same time, there’s a report by professional [industry expert] Dan Hara and I think his role will be to see how we can modernize our taxi industry.”

Bains admits he’s been struggling with how companies like Uber and Lyft might take business away from traditional taxi drivers.

“Many of those have invested heavily into buying their job. They have mortgaged their homes to buy taxi licences. I fully understand, if new technology comes, it effects jobs many times, but it shouldn’t be government policy bankrupting people.”

That report from the all-party legislative committee currently putting together recommendations is due February 15th.

The NDP government said previously ride-hailing, if approved, wouldn’t be implemented any time before the spring.

Last week, Premier John Horgan announced minimum wages would rise to $15.20 an hour by 2021, which would fulfill a pledge he made during last year’s provincial election campaign.