UTTRI associated faculty Professor Matti Siemiatycki is the expert voice in the January 24 article “Uber, Lyft given green-light in Metro Vancouver, but is that a good thing?” posted online by Vancouver (NEWS 1130).
Uber and Lyft began operating in Vancouver on January 24. In the article, Siemiatycki brings up several concerns about the introduction of ride-hailing to the city:
- traffic congestion may increase
- since Uber and Lyft operate at a loss, traditional taxi services may not able to compete, and may fold
- there are safety concerns around driver training and licensing, and assaults in ride-hail vehicles
The good news is that, according to Siemiatycki, Vancouver has “put regulations and policies in place to try and alleviate some of the worst dynamics” of ride-hailing.
Link to the article “Uber, Lyft given green-light in Metro Vancouver, but is that a good thing?”