Ride-hailing services seems to have a lot of fans in Sudbury – amidst industry protestations of inadequate insurance -- that’s the message from more than 750 survey responses gathered from the public as part of extensive community consultations conducted by the city.
Indeed the staff report headed to Sudbury council early this week reads in part "It is almost certain that [Uber, Lyft, Hailo or Blancride] or similar companies will soon begin operations in Northern Ontario."
"The public values convenience, response time, cost and vehicle/driver safety as the most important factors when deciding what transportation method to use," the report states. "While the vast majority of respondents use a personal vehicle to get around, one third of those who responded use some form of rideshare or carpool on both a daily or weekly basis and three-quarters use taxi services occasionally."
Also consulted were councillors, taxi drivers, and other stakeholders, among them the city’s economic development wing which embraced the controversial ride-hailing service and its ilk as being good for tourism.
“Economic development staff were consulted regarding the emergence of Uber into the market,” says the report, “and they state that from a tourism perspective, Uber's focus on excellence in customer service, as well as safety, is a positive asset to Greater Sudbury's visitor offering.”
In contrast to those welcoming the advent of Uber were the taxi driver respondents to the survey who almost universally voiced the opinion that “ride-sharing systems should be banned in Greater Sudbury.” The main points of contention were, as ever, to do with regulation. “If the city goes ahead to permit ride-sharing, that same strong [cab driver] majority want driver screening, licensing, fares and insurance to be regulated in the same manner for both systems.”
One industry figure, Sharon Flinn, who owns Lockerby Taxi, said earlier in the year that insurance was a particular sticking point.
"That's the biggest hassle," Flinn told a local media outlet. "Down in the States, where they're very popular, and across Europe, you don't need that kind of insurance. Ontario has very strict insurance regulations for commercial vehicles, and that's what they are. They're operating a business as a commercial operator."
