Kelowna’s taxi industry braces for arrival of Uber – Okanagan | 24CA News
Kelowna’s taxi business is getting ready for a monetary hit with the upcoming arrival of ride-hailing large Uber.
“Very concerned,” mentioned Roy Paulson, media spokesperson for Kelowna Cabs. “This is the livelihood for a few hundred people just in the Kelowna area.”
On Wednesday, Uber acquired the inexperienced mild from B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) to function within the Central Okanagan.
“Ride-sharing works well in the larger cities,” Paulson mentioned. “But in the medium-sized markets, there’s only so much of a call volume for people that need rides.”
The announcement has been a very long time coming, and one thing many neighborhood members have been calling on for a while.
An Uber spokesperson mentioned she believes it and the taxi business can co-exist.
“There are a lot of community groups who are interested and supportive of ride-sharing and Uber — whether that’s MADD, the B.C. Technical Association — local residents writing into the Passenger Transportation Board saying ‘Look, we want this option.’” mentioned Laura Miller, head of communications for Uber Canada.
“I think we can all coexist. We coexist in a number of other cities.”
However, the taxi business argues it’s not a stage enjoying subject as a result of taxi fares are fastened by the PTB and Uber has the pliability to set them because it pleases.
“That’s not fair either because they can undercut us or overprice us,” mentioned Ted Wiltshire, president and director of Checkmate Cabs.
Wiltshire mentioned he hopes individuals take into account sticking with native cab firms, declaring {that a} share of Uber fares go to the corporate, which is something however native.
“People should be fighting for local businesses to survive because we all know how hurt everybody is,” Wilshire mentioned. “It’s not just in cabs, it’s in restaurants or hotels, retail.”
While he welcomes Uber to Kelowna, mayor Tom Dyas mentioned town is working with the taxi business to help and improve its presence in sure areas.
“We’ve worked alongside them to look at establishing areas in the downtown core,” Dyas instructed Global News. “And we’ve also done some work with the services that they provide at the airport.”
Uber has not mentioned when it plans to launch in Kelowna, however promised to announce the beginning date within the coming days.
Local cab drivers are planning to offer Uber a run for its cash by enhancing their customer support.
“And do it better than them,” mentioned Wiltshire, “and that’s the only way I think we will survive.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
