City approves Lyft and Uber for inter-municipal ride-hailing licences

This allows Lyft and Uber to pick up and drop off passengers across the Lower Mainland using one business licence. (File Photo: www.quotecatalog.com via Stock Catalog/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

June 9 2020 – We have approved Lyft and Uber to receive inter-municipal business licences (IMBL) for ride-hailing. This allows Lyft and Uber to pick up and drop off passengers across the Lower Mainland using one business licence.

Participating municipalities

Participating municipalities include Abbotsford, Anmore, Bowen Island, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Delta, Harrison Hot Springs, City of Langley, Township of Langley, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Squamish, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and White Rock.

Licensed ride-hailing companies

Receipt of an inter-municipal business licence is the final step for a company to legally operate ride-hailing vehicles in participating municipalities across the Lower Mainland. Companies must also hold a Provincial Transportation Network Service (TNS) licence from the Passenger Transportation Board, which Lyft and Uber received on January 23.

We approved an IMBL to Lyft on May 27 and to Uber on June 2. On May 5, we granted the first IMBL for ride-hailing to Kabu-Ride Inc (Kabu).

Licensing costs

• Annual IMBL licensing fee is $155
• Per-vehicle IMBL fees are $150 per standard vehicle and $30 for each zero emission vehicle. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are exempt from this fee.