Article content continued

“Couriers under Uber have complete flexibility, can log on whenever they want and chose when to work and chose how they want to work,” Park said. “We believe this approach is highly valued by our partners.”

Park said he’s seen everyone from parents delivering meals between dropping off and picking up their kids, to artists and athletes looking for extra earnings.

Restaurants wanting to take part in Uber Eats can sign up on the company’s website.

Park said he expects the service to be up and running in Winnipeg in a few weeks.

Skip the Dishes, a similar service that was founded in 2012 and headquartered in Winnipeg, said it’s not worried by competition entering the market.

“It is natural for competitors to see value in this market and we’re confident in Skip’s position as Winnipeg’s favourite food delivery company,” a company official said in an emailed statement. “Our home is Winnipeg. We’re proud of our roots, our workforce of more than 1,800 people and growing, our superior technology and our ongoing investment here.

“SkipTheDishes is Canada’s leading and largest food delivery network. Canadians and Winnipeggers recognize Skip as the market leader. We have more than 100 Canadian cities on the network and partner with 12,000 restaurants, with 600 restaurants on Skip in Manitoba alone.”

Uber’s ride-sharing arm has yet to enter Winnipeg, citing MPI’s framework as the chief deterrent for the company.

On Tuesday, however, fellow ride-sharing company TappCar praised the framework that’s been put forth by MPI. TappCar said they’ve grown from 20 drivers on March 1 to well-over 300 five months later.

sbilleck@postmedia.com

Twitter: @scottbilleck