Ride-booking apps would 'create a transportation link' across Island, says minister

P.E.I. Transportation Minister Steven Myers is preparing legislation for the fall session that will allow ride-booking services like Uber, Lyft and RedRide to operate on the Island.

Myers told CBC's Island Morning he's "a big fan" of ride-booking services and thinks it's "a great opportunity for Prince Edward Island."

"In other jurisdictions that I've travelled to I've used it and it's a wonderfully easy way to get around a city."

Changes to the Insurance Act are required to allow ride-booking services on P.E.I. Myers said he has already had discussions with the Insurance Bureau of Canada about what precisely those changes need to be.

"[I'm] 100 per cent confident that that's going to be on the table for the fall session," he said.

"There's an opportunity to create a transportation link all across Prince Edward Island using ridesharing."

Local companies needed

A P.E.I. company, RedRide, is already proposing to launch a ride-booking service on the Island. The owners initiated a meeting with Myers, and Myers said he was impressed with what he saw.

"It's great to see a local company ready to move into this new market," he said.

"The big players don't seem to come into the small markets, or they haven't at this point. It's really exciting that we have entrepreneurs here on the ground ready to go, and have a solution ready to meet our problem."

Changes to bylaws

On P.E.I., the rules around ride-booking would be set by municipalities that would need to change bylaws to accommodate the service.

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown said the city is open to having those kinds of companies operate, but that council would be doing its research.

"I don't want to rush into this and nor does council," Brown said. "So we have lots of openings here to look at what are the best practices available in other jurisdictions and how can we make it better for Charlottetown." 

Taxis fear ride-booking could 'undercut' business

However it all could come at a cost for taxi drivers. In other jurisdictions across Canada, ride-booking companies haven't been subject to the same rules and it's meant they can charge lower fares.

Taxi drivers, on the other hand, have to pay for a physical office, licences, insurance and in some cases have their fares set by the city, but Myers said it's about giving people options.

"The market has a way of correcting itself over time and it's about giving people choice," he said.

Chris Pye, owner of Air Cab in Summerside, disagrees and said he sees the arrival of ride-booking as a threat to his employees and business.

"They're going to undercut other taxi businesses in Summerside, to take the business from the local companies that are owned locally," Pye said.

Pye has already reached out to the province to voice his opposition and plans to appeal any changes that would allow ride-booking companies on P.E.I.

Myers said he has also discussed the issue with Charlottetown city councillors, but he hasn't talked to other parties in the legislature.

The Progressive Conservatives, operating a minority government, will need support from some opposition members to change legislation.

Myers said he wants to have draft legislation ready to show opposition parties before starting those discussions.

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