SURREY Councillor and mayoral hopeful Barinder Rasode said on Wednesday that she has “very deep concerns” about the Uber model of passenger transportation.
She said in a statement: “Not only does Uber not meet the minimum standards of accountability in terms of driver training, public safety and accountability, but they have been in violation of local by-laws in other jurisdictions in which they operate.”
She added: “For this reason, I am calling on all municipalities and the provincial government to say no to Uber until such time as we can fully study the implications of their model. “Furthermore, as Mayor, I would reach out to other regional municipalities to build a common position throughout the Lower Mainland.”
She said that from speaking with people in the industry, she has a number of specific concerns about Uber which include:
- How do they recruit and train their drivers?
- Will their cars be insured up to minimum standards?
- Will they purchase licenses to operate and, if so, from who and how will their value be established?
- Will there be cameras in their cars that police can have access to? If not, how can they guarantee the safety of women they pick up, especially if they are forced to ride with strangers under their ride sharing program?
- Will they participate in Amber Alert as support for first responders as our current taxi industry does?
She said it was important that governments across Metro Vancouver get answers to these important questions and work together to develop a joint position on Uber.
