Surrey residents strongly want to see a legal, safe, well-regulated ridesharing industry: Survey

71% of respondents agreed that ridesharing drivers should use the same driver’s licenses as is required in other provinces

 

A strong majority of Surrey residents believe that ridesharing options such as Lyft and Uber should be available to Metro Vancouver residents, a new Mainstreet Research survey has found.

The poll surveyed 725 residents of Surrey between June 23rd and 24th 2019. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.98% and is accurate 19 times out of 20.

“78% of Surrey residents think that ridesharing should be a transportation option available to residents of Metro Vancouver, with a majority strongly believing that this should be the case,” said Joseph Angolano, Vice President of Mainstreet Research. “Similarly, we found that most Surrey residents think that the British Columbia government should implement ridesharing as soon as possible.”

74% of respondents agreed that the provincial government should implement ridesharing as soon as possible, with a majority (54%) saying they strongly agreed.

“These findings show that Surrey residents remember the promise made by all the major parties in the last election to allow ridesharing in British Columbia,” noted Angolano. “Moreover, they fully expect that the Horgan government keeps its promise and legalize ridesharing companies.”

The poll also found just under 80% of the respondents said they were familiar with ridesharing services, with familiarity significantly dropping off among those over the age of 65.

“It is not surprising to see familiarity with Lyft and Uber lower among older respondents, as they are less likely to use smartphones than younger respondents,” added Angolano.

The survey also found that 71% of respondents agreed that ridesharing drivers should use the same driver’s licenses as is required in other provinces if they pass strict driving experience and background checks, with a majority (52%) strongly agreeing. Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec have all implemented a strict Class 5 licence requirement for ridesharing.

“The results of this survey are clear. Surrey residents strongly want to see a legal, safe, and well-regulated ridesharing industry with drivers meeting strict requirements,” concluded Angolano.