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Zifkin said that the licensing regulation “will not
improve safety but will increase wait times and benefit
the taxi industry,” according to an article by The Georgia
Straight. He also said, “Lyft does not currently operate
ridesharing in any jurisdiction that requires drivers to
change their driver’s licence to a commercial driver’s
licence.” Only time will tell if his prediction is correct.

While may are excited about the prospect about ride-
hailing in Vancouver, others are hesitant.

One of the many important concerns people bring
up when talking about letting ridesharing companies
operate in one’s city is, of course, safety. If you ask any

Illustration by Cara Seccafien

person, they will tell you a story about one time a cab
driver was creepy, aggressive or rude, or sometimes
violent.

Letting a stranger into your car or getting intoa
stranger's car is always going to be a gamble. They
might be a creep, or a complete asshole, a perfectly
decent person, or not even say a word to you. As
someone who
has taken many
taxis in the
wee hours of
the morning,

   

  

Haters of public
transportation and

 
   
    

; I have had
Vancouver's current . wi
. mainly positive
cab services, now :
experiences

might be your
time to rejoice.

 
 

with drivers, but

I know many

people have had

the opposite.

Admittedly, I

do often think
about how much easier a company like Uber or Lyft
would be to have in the city, so I don’t have to choose
from one of only a handful of cab companies in the city
(all with less than two-star ratings). I’ve also wondered
how successful ridesharing might be with instances
in which taxis refuse to pick up drunk or intoxicated
people, given people’s need to get a safe ride home.

In an article by Daily Hive, a taxi rider saw her
concern when she saw a note on the driver's screen
instructing drivers not to pick up a drunk woman as she
“cannot even stand up.’ On an anecdotal note, a friend

of mine once told me his friend got blocked by a taxi
service because she got too drunk and threw up ina cab.

Another issue with ridesharing in the city is that there
will be no limits on surge pricing. Meaning, ridesharing
companies can up their fare prices during the busier
commute time like rush hour or special events, possibly
costing riders even more than a taxi.

The taxi service in Vancouver is not perfect, sure.
However, only time will tell if the introduction of
ridesharing companies will ease the tension for people
without their own transportation, or only serve to make
it worse.