The CEO of Kater Technologies says his company is planning on launching ride-hailing services in Kamloops and other BC cities outside the Lower Mainland by mid-fall.

Scott Larson says Kater has been testing a fleet of 35 cars in Vancouver since March of this year, and he told Radio NL it would be foolish to not expand across the province as soon as possible.

“Outside of Metro Vancouver the market is a little bit different but people need the service and studies across the world have shown that when ride hailing has come in, it makes everybody’s life easier,” he said. “It’s just how it is, and we think it should be rolled out across B.C. and we’ll do what we can to be a part of that.”

Larson says he is waiting for information on pricing and the number of vehicles that will be allowed on the road once ride hailing gets going in B.C. this year.

“We are getting initial support out of Kamloops and the Okanagan in particular. It’s early days on all levels,” Larson added. “I think everybody is trying to figure out how this is going to play out. Some of the other companies have said they don’t see themselves operating in some of the jurisdictions outside of Metro Vancouver. We feel the opposite.”

Kater – he says – was developed in collaboration with the Vancouver Taxi Association, and is being used in fleet cars and in some traditional cabs.

Ride-hailing companies will be able to apply to operate through the Passenger Transportation Board beginning on September 3. ICBC will also introduce a new ride-hailing insurance policy this September.

“We’re putting together a marketing team for the Okanagan region right now. The first couple weeks of September is the timeline that we’ve been given by the government to say this is exactly what the regulations are going to look like,” Larson said.

“Our plan is to participate in that process in as broad and as wide of a way as we can.”

Drivers who hope to drive for Kater will be required to have a Class-4 licence.

(Photo via Kater Technologies)