Ridesharing gets smooth ride through City Council

Ridesharing has been a tough sell in some Canadian municipalities, but the concept was approved by Sault Ste. Marie City Council tonight without a whimper of dissent.

"Ridesharing companies provide passengers with a ride service where the drivers use their own vehicles," said city solicitor Karen Fields in a report asking Mayor Christian Provenzano and councillors to allow the idea here.

"The connection is established through a rideshare company's smartphone application," Fields said.

"The benefit to the passenger is that the cost of the ride can be ascertained in advance of the service, and provides an additional means to assist passengers in allowing more flexible vehicle-for-hire options."

Under the new bylaw approved by councillors, customers won't be allowed to hail a rideshare on the street, or at a taxi stand.

"For safety purposes, they can only connect through the app, so they get a quote for the amount," Fields said.

"They get a receipt. And they will be contacted by the person who will pick them up, so people won't be inadvertently getting into a car."

"When could someone realistically start driving for a ride-share company if one wanted to start operating here?" asked Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Shoemaker.

"We have to have a ride-share company show interest," Fields responded.

"That licensing goes through the police service, just like taxis. So, as fast as we could turn that around. I would say probably to go through the process and the licensing, the inspections of the cars, wouldn't be done in a day or two. But it could be done in a very short time."

Fields said she's already been approached by one rideshare firm that's anxious to get started here in Sault Ste. Marie.

That company is Thunder Bay-based Uride, which is currently operating in Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sudbury and Chatham-Kent, as well as six cities in British Columbia, and one community each in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Here in Sault Ste. Marie, ridesharing firms will pay the same licensing fees as taxis, limousines, and shuttle buses:

• drivers - $40 initial and $25 renewal
• vehicles - $100 initial and $50 renewal
• companies - $400 initial, which includes 1 vehicle and $100 renewal

The new bylaw allowing ride-sharing will be reviewed in one year's time to determine whether adjustments are needed.