A ride-hailing application in Canada is expanding to Fredericton

Key takeaways:

• This winter, a Canadian company intends to bring ride-hailing to the capital of New Brunswick.
• Uride’s service is already available in a few smaller markets in Ontario and British Columbia.

This winter, a Canadian business hopes to bring ride-hailing to New Brunswick’s capital city.

Uride, a ride-hailing service comparable to Uber and Lyft, plans to launch in Fredericton before the holidays.

According to Cody Ruberto, the company’s creator, Uride has already registered as a New Brunswick corporation and has insurance in place.

All that’s left now is for the city to issue a license.

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“We’re waiting for our insurance company to provide us with this document,” Ruberto explained.

“Once we get that, we’ll simply submit the complete application to the city.”

The provincial government passed legislation in 2020 that would allow ride-hailing companies to operate in New Brunswick.

Local governments, on the other hand, would have to establish local rules enabling ride-hailing.

Fredericton enacted a bylaw in April after a few years of deliberation.

In an emailed reply, the city said it was aware of Uride’s ambitions to build a shop in Fredericton but had not yet received a license application.

The focus is on small towns.

Uride’s service is already available in a few smaller markets in Ontario and British Columbia.

“We’re particularly focusing on smaller areas,” Ruberto added, “because that’s where this [is] a huge problem.”

“Isn’t it also true that we don’t have access to the same modes of transportation as you do in larger cities? In most cases, city buses in smaller towns run less often and have fewer routes. The cab service usually has lengthier wait periods.”

While consumers may be pleased to see a ride-hailing business arrive in Fredericton, taxi drivers may not be.

“A lot of times when we move into areas, taxis aren’t thrilled,” Ruberto explained, “but there’s more than enough demand for everyone.”

“The more competition there is, and the more businesses that come in, the better.”

Is there a chance of an expansion?

According to Ruberto, Uride has already received applications from more than 80 drivers interested in working for them.

When the firm opens, he said, COVID protocols will be in place, including masks for both passengers and drivers, as well as a screening of symptomatic passengers.

Mandatory immunizations, on the other hand, will not be necessary at this time.

“They’re not essential right now,” Ruberto explained.

“If the health unit sends us in a different direction, we’ll follow all local health unit directions.”

Uride hopes to launch in Fredericton before the holidays, but the company has already set its sights on other province cities.

In the coming year, it plans to expand to Saint John and Moncton.

Ruberto said he met with officials in both cities and was told that their respective ride-hailing bylaws are still being worked on.

Source: CBC News

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