My friend who went to study at University of Toronto told me about her recent encounter with her Uber driver. Though her story was interesting, I wondered how long it would be until Uber came to Vancouver. In an article it talks about that it is not if Uber can come to Vancouver, but when it will be established here [1] .

Many people living in Vancouver are anticipating the arrival of Uber. Since Metro Vancouver is spread out, it is rather difficult to travel from one place to another without a vehicle or public transport. So, people would use Uber to travel from place to place. However, why is the provincial government stalling the entrance of Uber into British Columbia and why is Uber so appealing to the masses?

When introducing a new transportation system, there are many different things the government has to take into account in order for people to use Uber. For example, Uber has to pass the Passenger Transportation Board [2] in order to be able to have people in British Columbia use their service. Also, the government has to think about the current transportation services, such as taxis, and the effect Uber will have on the current market.

If Uber is introduced to Vancouver, it will open a whole new market, not only to the company, but also the customers. Residences and tourists of Vancouver are able to travel more conveniently to farther places using Ubers. In addition, it is cheaper than taxis if you are traveling somewhere far away. From personal experience, I know what a hassle it is to have to travel on public transportation. For example, a trip that would normally take twenty minutes by car takes an hour on the bus or skytrain. For Uber, the customer users will expand since people are willing to use Uber compared to other forms of transportations; thus increasing its’ profits. Also, people who have a car are able to apply to become a Uber driver. This will improve the provincial economy as people earn more money, they tend to spend more in the economy.

However, the competition in the transportation service market will increase exponentially. People in the taxi service will be severely affected as their customer base will move towards Uber. Therefore, it is imminent that there is a balance between the competition and consumer market, so everyone is content with the results.

 

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[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/21/uber-s-arrival-in-b-c-inevitable-says-transportation-minister-todd-stone_n_9041444.html?utm_hp_ref=ca-uber-vancouver

[2] http://www.ptboard.bc.ca/