VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A region-wide ride-hailing licence is expected to replace those issued by cities throughout the Lower Mainland by April.

Starting April 1, the licence would apply to ride-hailing companies in 25 Lower Mainland municipalities, including Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, and Richmond, but excluding four smaller communities: Belcarra, Mission, Kent and Hope.

A City of Vancouver staff report says the inter-municipal business licence will “streamline” licensing across the region by setting a single set of rules and fees.

Vancouver council is expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday. To participate, each municipality will have to pass its own bylaw in the coming weeks ahead of the April 1 launch date.

The current proposal is intended as an interim solution while a permanent licence is developed by TransLink and municipal staff in the coming months.

The policy includes a $155-per-company fee and a $150-per-vehicle annual fee that would be charged to the ride-hailing companies. The $150 fee would be waived for wheelchair-accessible vehicles and reduced to $30 zero-emission vehicles.

The proposed fee structure is similar to Vancouver’s current bylaw, but lower than some other cities in the region. Burnaby’s bylaw includes a $510-per-vehicle fee, the most expensive in the region.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum, who has previously opposed ride-hailing, said in January he supported the regional licence conditionally. He said he was willing to bring down his city’s $400-per-vehicle fee for taxis to provide a level playing field.

At the time, the TransLink Mayors’ Council recommended all Lower Mainland councils harmonize their taxi fees with those set out in the proposed ride-hailing requirements.

The new policy does not restrict the number of vehicles the ride-hailing companies can put on the road. A City of Vancouver staff report says the province has “sole authority” over fleet size and operational boundaries.

The City of Vancouver plans to administer the licence and collect fees. It plans to distribute the money to other municipalities based on the number of pickups and drop offs in each city.

The provincial Passenger Transportation Board has licensed Uber, Lyft and Kabu-Ride to operate in the Lower Mainland.

With files from Kathryn Tindale