DELTA Councillor Lois Jackson wants the Council to request that the Passenger Transportation Board “facilitates a comprehensive, fulsome public consultation process wherein BC’s cities, municipalities, regional districts, public transit agencies, disabled persons’ advocacy organizations, and the general public are invited and enabled to provide their views as to the terms, restrictions and requirements that should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms by the PTB.”

Jackson, who was mayor of Delta, will be presenting a motion on September 16 to the Council in this regard.

The motion justifies the call for a public consultation process by noting:

“Whereas British Columbia’s Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) has sole responsibility for deciding whether or not individual ride-hailing firms (that have submitted applications to the PTB) will be granted licenses to operate in BC;

“And whereas on August 19, 2019, the PTB issued a brand new Operational Policy: “Introduction of Transportation Network Services, 2019”, that, if implemented, will allow ride-hailing firms to compete against British Columbia’s taxi companies for passengers without having to comply with the same onerous rules, restrictions and requirements that the PTB requires taxi companies to comply with;

“And whereas the PTB’s Operational Policy will allow ridehailing companies (that are granted licenses to operate in BC) to operate unlimited numbers of vehicles;

“And whereas the PTB severely limits, and dictates the specific numbers of taxis that individual taxi companies are allowed to operate;

“And whereas the PTB’s Operational Policy will allow ridehailing companies (that are granted licenses to operate in BC) to not operate any “accessible” vehicles;

“And whereas the PTB requires BC’s taxi companies to operate “accessible” taxis, and to train their drivers on the needs of and how to accommodate disabled and mobility-impaired persons;

“And whereas during the development of its ride-hailing Operational Policy, the PTB:

“a) Did not consult with and did not allow BC’s cities, municipalities and regional districts to express their views to the PTB as to what terms, restrictions and requirements should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms by the PTB;

“b) Did not consult with and did not allow BC’s public transit agencies – such as TransLink and BC Transit – to express their views to the PTB as to what terms, restrictions and requirements should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms by the PTB;

“c) Did not consult with and did not allow the general public to express their views to the PTB as to what terms, restrictions and requirements should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms by the PTB;

“d) Did not consult with and did not allow groups that advocate for: disabled persons; persons with mobility-impairments; and the elderly – to express their views to the PTB as to whether ride-hailing firms should be required to operate “accessible” vehicles – as part of the terms, restrictions and requirements of their operating licences that are issued by the PTB;

“Therefore be it resolved that the City of Delta opposes the British Columbia Passenger Transportation Board’s Operational Policy for ride-hailing companies;

“And be it further resolved that the City of Delta will expeditiously write to the PTB requesting that its Operational Policy for ride-hailing companies be withdrawn.”

The resolution also states that “the City of Delta will expeditiously submit a late, emergency resolution to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) for debate and vote at the September 23-27, 2019 UBCM annual conference that asks conference delegates to vote for or against the following:

“Therefore be it resolved that the UBCM opposes the British Columbia Passenger Transportation Board’s Operational Policy for ride-hailing companies;
“And be it further resolved that the UBCM will expeditiously write to the PTB requesting that its Operational Policy for ride-hailing companies be withdrawn;

“And be it further resolved that the UBCM will, in writing, request that the PTB facilitates a comprehensive, fulsome public consultation process wherein BC’s cities, municipalities, regional districts, public transit agencies, disabled persons’ advocacy organizations, and the general public are invited and enabled to provide their views as to the terms, restrictions and requirements that should be included in operating licences that are issued to ride-hailing firms by the PTB.”