The MLA for Kamloops North is casting doubt on the Premier’s commitment that we’ll see ride hailing in the province by Christmas.

Peter Milobar was part of an all-party committee on ride hailing, and he says John Horgan and the NDP have no intention to get proper ride hailing in B.C..

“No one even knows what the Premier means by fair ride hailing. Simple math says it’s November right now,” he said. “This letter indicates that it’s going to be an extra three to four weeks in the process. I do not understand how, when nothing has been approved yet, how the Premier thinks there’s going to be anything on the road this year.”

Milobar says the province is stalling under the guise of a judicial review launched by the Vancouver Taxi Association.

“This letter was not sent because of ordering by the judicial review. It’s been sent under the guise of this court action being taken by the Taxi Associations, which the Passenger Transportation Board,” Milobar noted. “They could go ahead and keep doing their work.”

He admitted he’d be ‘stunned’ if there is ride hailing on the roads in B.C. by Christmas.

“If all they do is wind up shifting drivers from a taxi company over to an Uber or Lyft type operation, they’ve added no capacity to the system. They’ve just got a different brand name on the cars. The travelling public needs more options. They probably need more taxis as well.”

The B.C. government had initially promised that the Passenger Transportation Board would begin reviewing applications at the end of September and that ride-hailing would be in place by the end of this year.