Suburban Mayor in Metro Vancouver Roots for Uber
Port Coquitlam: one of many British Columbia communities that’s pushing for Uber. Heading up Port Coquitlam’s advocacy for Uber is the suburb’s very own mayor, Greg Moore. After using the popular, but controversial, ride sharing service, Moore has been very vocal about bringing Uber to Port Coquitlam and Metro Vancouver.
So vocal that he’s even taken to Twitter to engage his followers and pick their brains about the issue. Their thoughts? Most are enthusiastic about Uber and disappointed in taxi services. Others comment that the real issue lies with the taxi industry itself.
All the comments are in line with Mayor Greg Moore’s own. Global News shares exactly why Moore is in favour of Uber and frustrated with taxis. Recounting his own experiences, Moore mentions that he’s been refused service because a taxi was holding out for a longer ride and a bigger fare. Meanwhile, other than Uber’s pleasant customer service and easy payment integration, Moore says he really likes the transparency of the service. With Uber, he knows exactly who is picking him up. Uber tells users the name of the driver, shares a photo of the driver, and describes the driver’s car. Some Uber fans argue that the transparency of the service helps protect passengers.
But Uber critics remain concerned about insurance. Although Uber has promised that every Uber ride is insured, UberX drivers, who use their personal vehicles to pick up paying passengers, have been left without coverage. Why? A personal auto insurance policy does not cover accidents that occur while the vehicle is being used for commercial purposes.
Intact, one of Canada’s biggest insurance providers, announced in September that it’s working with Uber to solve the service’s insurance shortcomings. In the meantime, UberX drivers are urged to speak with their insurance providers and adapt their insurance policies as necessary.
But despite insurance issues, Moore is pushing for Vancouver to lift its Uber ban. He also invites the taxi industry to update its service to compete with Uber. Moore believes that a sharing economy is the future, and he’s not the only one.
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