A recent study shows that wheelchair access is one of the top concerns in the ride-hailing industry. This comes along with the working conditions of drivers and road congestion.
According to a Research Co. poll, 75% of 700 respondents from Metro Vancouver believe ride-hailing drivers, and taxi drivers, be paid a minimum wage. Likewise, these participants think that ride-share drivers should also receive benefits such as overtime and vacation pay.
Meanwhile, 71% of respondents said that ride-hailing companies should offer at least 17% of their fleet to wheelchair accessible vehicles. Citizens over 55-years-old are the strongest supporters of this advocacy.
Furthermore, roughly 65% said they want to see a limit set on the number of ride-hailing cars on the road. They claim that this action will control congestion that ride-share companies are most likely to bring.
Finally, 42% of respondents believe ride-hailing companies should compete fairly with taxis. This is a concern that taxi firms all over the world are hoping to accomplish.
The Transportation Board has already released a number of rules for interested companies. One of the conditions was having different zoning than taxis, which will be based on regions instead of cities.
Moreover, ride hailing drivers will have to abide by the same minimum fee as taxis. However, they will still be able to increase those rates during peak travel hours.
There also won’t be any cap on fleet sizes ere also won’t be any cap on fleet sizes. This is due to the fact that ride-hailing fleets take time to build up, and that is especially the case for B.C. where a Class 4 commercial driver’s license is required.
Several ride-hailing companies have already applied to hit roadways in B.C., including Lyft, TappCar, and Kater.
