The Halifax Regional Municipality proposed new rules that would have made ridesharing services more expensive for riders and less convenient for drivers by introducing special licensing requirements and duplicating screening and training already done by ridesharing companies. The proposal also would have introduced new fees to be paid for by drivers, which would then be passed onto consumers in the form of higher prices.
The Consumer Choice Center team immediately acted, responding with a press release and media interviews on television and radio in both English and French. This includes CBC TV, Global TV, Radio Canada, and the Todd Veinotte Show. The CCC team insisted that the current regulatory regime that is in place in Halifax, which is one of the most stringent in the nation, is working well and ought not to be changed, particularly because the new proposal would have simply meant more red tape for drivers and higher prices for consumers.
Following the CCC’s advocacy, councillors voted against the proposal and instead voted to create a committee to study how other jurisdictions are handing training, auditing, and compliance, with ridesharing companies to be included on that committee.
