A spokesperson for Kabu Ride says the company has more than a dozen drivers currently signed up to serve Kamloops.
Martin van den Hemel did not provide an exact number but tells NL News the Richmond based company is looking for more drivers, saying they anticipate needing about 20 to 30 full time drivers and another 30 to 50 part time drivers in total.
“If anybody has a class 4, a Class 2, or a Class 1 licence, or even if you’ve got a Class 5, and you’re interested in the ride hailing industry, we can help you through the knowledge test at ICBC and connect you with a driving school in Kamloops that will help you get a Class 4 licence,” he said.
Kabu Ride launched its ride hailing service – the first in the Kamloops – on Canada Day. He says many of their current drivers were in the long haul trucking industry.
“Now they don’t want the same wear and tear on their bodies,” van den Hemel added. “The idea that they can become their own boss and choose their own hours, and work in their own neighbourhoods with a short commute back home – many of them are excited to join the ride hailing economy.”
Drivers, he added, keep 80 percent of their revenues, while full-time drivers will qualify for health, dental, disability, and illness coverage, along with a $250,000 life insurance policy.
“They are independent contracts and so drivers can work for who they want, but we are going to try and create some initiatives for these drivers to stick to us,” van den Hemel added. “They can choose to drive for someone else if another player comes into the market, but if they do so, they’ll have to pick up the cost of these benefits.”
“As long as they are working for us at least 40 hours a week, they will qualify for these benefits.”
The company previously noted that people will need to wear a mask if they want to ride in one of their vehicles because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Three other companies – Lucky to Go, Safe Ride and Ripe Holdings – have been given ride-sharing licenses, though none have indicated specific plans yet to operate in Kamloops. Uber and Lyft meanwhile have not applied to operate anywhere in the Interior, citing government restrictions on driving licensing as a reason why.