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Ride-hailing companies began submitting their applications to operate in B.C. on Tuesday, and it is expected that the first licences could be granted within the next six to eight weeks.

Whether vehicles will be on the road by that time, however, is another matter.

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“At the earliest, we could have ride-hailing in Vancouver by Halloween,” said Richmond-Queensborough B.C. Liberal MLA Jas Johal, who has been in touch with ride-hailing companies and was on a legislative committee that made recommendations for the industry.

On Tuesday, ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft were able to begin applying for passenger transportation licences, a requirement to legally operate in B.C. Insurance and other regulations will go into effect on Sept. 16.

Applications are submitted to the Passenger Transportation Branch, where the registrar ensures they are complete before forwarding them to the Passenger Transportation Board for consideration.