Ride-hailing pioneer Lyft has made its first move outside the U.S. with service in Toronto, and it approaches B.C. with an effort to cool the political battle over the taxi monopoly that has carried on past the spring election.

The NDP minority government has backed away from its election promise to introduce ride-hailing service by the end of 2017, prompting opposition MLAs to label Transportation Minister Claire Trevena the 91裸聊视频渕inister of taxis91裸聊视频� for stalling an update of B.C.91裸聊视频檚 regulations.

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Uber has made most of the headlines in Metro Vancouver, signing up drivers and sparking accusations it wants to set prices below Passenger Transportation Board rates for the last big city in North America without ride-hailing services. Vancouver-based Flok and other startups are working around what amounts to a taxi monopoly with many complaints of poor service.

Chelsea Wilson, Lyft senior policy communications manager, visited Victoria last week. In an interview with Black Press, she stressed the company91裸聊视频檚 strategy to extend the options available to city dwellers.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 see ourselves as competing with any existing industry,91裸聊视频� Wilson said. 91裸聊视频淲e view it as competing with personal car ownership. And we believe we complement and supplement the existing options of the city, whether that91裸聊视频檚 taxis or transit.91裸聊视频�

While big cities can have a variety of traditional and smartphone-based options, Lyft has moved on since it started in 2012 to include smaller communities.

Chelsea Wilson of talks about potential for app-based ride sharing in smaller communities

91裸聊视频� Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc)

91裸聊视频淲e just moved in the States from launching city by city to turning on entire states,91裸聊视频� Wilson said. 91裸聊视频淭hat means we have coverage in dense urban centres but also more rural areas, and it91裸聊视频檚 a service that operates very well in rural areas. It91裸聊视频檚 not a full-time job for most people. Eighty per cent of our drivers drive 15 hours a week or less.91裸聊视频�

Like other services, Lyft is emphasizing its safety measures, including background checks for drivers and GPS tracking of cars so people can track the movements of friends and relatives using the service.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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