SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 BCBUSINESS 75
Even though ride-hailing has been a
thing for several months in (at least
some parts of) our fair province, you
might be surprised to know that Lyft
and Uber aren't the only companies
offering transport to anyone with a
charged cellphone. In fact, there are
some B.C.-based businesses trying to
take you where you want to go.
■ SPEEDY ARRIVAL
The first ride-hailing operation to get
the green light from the provincial
Passenger Transportation Board (
PTB)
wasn't one of the two U.S. giants. No,
Tofino's Green Coast Ventures first soft-
launched Whistle in its home base
and has since expanded into Ucluelet,
Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton.
■ POOL PARTY
Vancouver-headquartered Poparide is
a carpooling app that started in earnest
in 2010 as an option for those seeking
rides up and down the Sea to Sky High-
way. It's now available across Canada,
allowing users to hop in a (hopefully
friendly) carpool for cheap.
■ TICKET TO RIDE?
A few other companies have made
moves toward B.C. roads. Richmond's
Kabu Ride became the first service to
operate in Kamloops on Canada Day,
while Victoria's Lucky to Go arrived in
the Okanagan around the same time but
hit some speed bumps getting certified
in its hometown. Others, like Apt Rides
in West Vancouver and Coastal Rides,
which aims to serve the Sunshine Coast,
won
PTB approval but hadn't put cars on
the road by press time.
•
ON T R E N D
ALTERNATE
ROUTES
British Columbians have a
few choices when it comes
to ride-hailing
by Nathan Caddell
Stratford Saves!
STRATFORD UNDERWRITING, INC.
604-282-0670 / 1-833-222-9980
info@stratfordunderwriting.ca
Offering you better options
on optional insurance.
To find a Stratford broker near you,
go to StratfordSaves.ca
StratfordUnderwriting-1/3sq.indd 1 3/11/20 11:30 AM
Everything we do has
the safety of British
Columbians in mind.
For key insights into the safety of
technical systems in the province,
our State of Safety report is live:
technicalsafetybc.ca/StateofSafety
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