Uber may be ready to give Vancouver another try.
The rideshare app maker made an appearance in Vancouver and Calgary on July 18, delivering ice cream for one day only. The company encouraged customers to download the Uber app and buy five pieces of ice cream for $25.
Uber briefly operated in Vancouver in the summer of 2012. In November 2012, B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board ruled that Uber must abide by the same rules as limousines and charge a minimum of $75 per ride. The company ceased operating in Calgary after a similar ruling.
Uber now operates in 140 cities around the world, but its entry into many cities has been controversial. Taxi drivers have complained of undercutting and local governments have struggled to determine which regulations apply to the service.
On its blog, the company promises a “new beginning” in Vancouver.
“When we first met, our innovative model of connecting riders with drivers was in its infancy,” the company wrote.
“But that didn’t stop the entrenched, taxi industry from seeing the threat to their high priced monopoly on the Vancouver market and using their political power to ice us out of town.”
Currently, Montreal and Toronto are the only Canadian cities where you can digitally hail an Uber car.
