GREEN Party Leader Andrew Weaver said on Wednesday that his party will continue to keep the pressure on government to bring ride-hailing to British Columbians this year.

The all-party committee consultations on ride-hailing concluded three days of public hearings in Vancouver on Wednesday.

“I am delighted that British Columbians have finally heard a open discussion on this issue from all three parties,” said Weaver.

He added: “This all-party committee demonstrates how we can reform politics in this province to better deliver for our constituents. Open, transparent debate based on evidence is exactly how we should be crafting public policy.

“For far too long, ride-hailing has been treated like a political football while people wait for action. I have long held that it is unacceptable for Vancouver to be the largest city in North America without access to this service. We cannot expect to be innovators if we do not embrace innovation.

“Over the course of the last three days, we have heard from small communities like Enderby about how ride-hailing would help solve transportation issues for their residents. We’re heard from taxi drivers concerned that ongoing illegal ride-hailing has driven them from being able to work in cities like Richmond. We’ve heard from the taxi industry and labour advocates that they are concerned about the implications of regulating ride-hailing in this province. And we’ve heard from B.C. innovators pitching creative solutions.

“I am confident that my colleagues and I will now be able to produce a report that addresses these concerns while ensuring British Columbians have access to the consumer choices they want, and that innovation can flourish in our province.”