By Charlene Tebbutt

Prince Albert to review options around ridesharing

Dec 7, 2018 | 4:00 PM

New rules around ridesharing will soon come into effect in Saskatchewan, leaving the door open for individual communities to develop their own regulations around the service.

The government has announced that new regulations will come into effect next week. The province says rideshare companies will be able to begin operating in Saskatchewan, as long as they follow local municipal bylaw requirements.

Mayor Greg Dionne said he’s hoping for more details soon about the new program, adding that City administration will review them to see how they may fit in Prince Albert.

“I’ve requested our staff to go through the proposal that the government has set, and tell us what we’re authorized to do,” Dionne said.

Dionne said it’s important that passengers are protected and safe when using ridesharing services, adding that any proposed regulations for Prince Albert would have to be approved by City Council before coming into effect locally.

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The province has said that all drivers will have to be licensed and meet certain requirements, including passing annual criminal record checks and regular vehicle inspections. Rideshare companies will also be required to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance coverage for all vehicles and drivers.

Speaking at an event in Prince Albert Friday, Joe Hargrave, minister responsible for SGI, said ridesharing offers another option for a safe ride home. He said he doesn’t expect the idea will take away from existing options such as cab companies.

“We had the worst record in Canada, one of the worst records in the world for impaired driving,” Hargrave said. “We changed the laws, which helped immensely, last year we had a 40 per cent decline in deaths from impaired driving on our highways, which was great, but there’s still lots of work to do.”

The new regulations come into effect Dec. 14.
 

Charlene.tebbutt@jbpg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt