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January 29, 2016 - 10:30 AM
PENTICTON - Edmonton recently became the first Canadian city to legalize ride hailing company Uber, but don’t expect to see Penticton follow suit anytime soon.
Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakibeit says the city has not yet been approached regarding establishment of the service in the Peach City, adding he believes smaller markets like Penticton wouldn’t have enough demand to warrant the service.
“Our local taxi companies do a good job and Penticton is a very walkable community,” Jakubeit says. He thinks the service will be more prevalent in larger centres, adding he expects other cities to follow Edmonton’s lead.
Uber was given the go ahead to begin operations in Edmonton beginning March 1, provided the company’s drivers are able to get legal commercial insurance approved by the province.
Under Edmonton’s bylaw, rides offered by Uber start at a minimum price of $3.25 per trip, and Uber cars are not allowed to be hailed on the street. The decision is expected to transform the taxi industry in Edmonton.
Uber describes its business as “evolving the way the world moves” on its website. The service connects riders to drivers through the Uber app.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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