After being asked for feedback, council unanimously voted to send a letter to the province asking that ride-hailing service data be made public, that drivers require a Class 4 licence and that the program stays aligned with climate change goals.
Ride-hailing refers to services like Uber and Lyft, which allow people to request a driver to shuttle them around with the push of a button on their smartphone.
A draft of the letter said ensuring that drivers have a Class 4 licence — which is what taxi and bus drivers need — would help make sure customers get a safe ride.
In the document, councillors also ask the province to make public the data that it will be collecting on ridesharing.
"This will enable local governments to track enforcement issues and use the data to guide our decisions on street and traffic bylaws," the draft letter reads.
Mayor Karen Elliott also wanted to ask the province to ensure ridesharing services don't hurt B.C.'s greenhouse gas emission goals.
She said in some cases, ridesharing could cause more traffic and congestion, which could be a climate change concern.
Elliott also asked the province to incentivize having lower-emission vehicles when licensing new drivers.
Previously, the province asked the District, among many other communities, for feedback on the program. Victoria is planning on allowing ride-hailing services to start in the province in 2019.
