Despite all the interest and conversation it garnered last month, Regina’s ridesharing bylaw was given the final OK on Monday night with little fanfare.

With the final stamp out of the way, Mayor Michael Fougere is hoping ridesharing companies start applying right away to drive in the city.

“I would think their officials will talk to both the province and the city very quickly about what they’ve got to do to start the process,” said Fougere.

The companies will have to comply with SGI and the city’s regulations as well as finish the application, so Fougere said it could take “some time.”

Michael van Hemmen, the business manager for Uber in Western Canada, agreed.

“If you look at the timelines that happened in Saskatoon, it was a couple of months from when the city passed the bylaw to when there was an application that was available to when you were able to see cars on the road,” van Hemmen said.

Van Hemmen said the company was excited about the progress. The company will be advertising online for drivers, though people can already apply on Uber’s website — they’ll need a vehicle inspection, criminal record check and a driver history check.

With bylaws passed in the two biggest Saskatchewan cities, van Hemmen said that’s where Uber is going to keep its eyes for now. “Right now we’re focused on growing the business in Saskatoon and setting up operations in Regina and we’ll look at other opportunities down the road.”

Fellow ridesharing company Lyft said it can’t share specific details, but it hopes to be operating in Saskatchewan soon in the future.

Notices of Motion on Wascana Park

The two notices of motion regarding the Brandt building going up in Wascana Park were read out during the meeting Monday night.

Now the motions will be heard and discussed at the next City Council meeting in March.

There was a motion from Coun. Mike O’Donnell at the very start of the meeting to hear the notices of motion just as motions, in order to send any resulting letters to the body in charge of the park, the Provincial Capital Commission, in time for its March meeting. But that was voted down, with Coun. Bob Hawkins pointing out that a notice of motion would give time for the public to know council is going to discuss the issue.

Buses and overpasses

At Monday night’s meeting, council also authorized the city administration to put out a Request for Proposals on the work to move the Winnipeg Street overpass. The work will tear down the current bridge and move the new one to align the two stretches of Winnipeg Street on either side of Ring Road.

Mayor Michael Fougere said this project is the “number one priority” infrastructure project for this year.

City Council also approved a motion to ask city administration for a report on the “costs, benefits, and ridership statistics” around expanding public transit to the Regina airport.