An Update on Ridesharing in Saskatoon

We know that many Saskatoon residents and visitors are interested in having ridesharing companies, like Uber, Lyft or TappCar come into our city. Ridesharing cannot take place in Saskatoon without first changing insurance and licensing regulations, which need to be sorted out by the provincial government.

Once those provincial issues are resolved, then the City is able to develop a set of local bylaws and regulations. In preparation for this, the City’s administration will be producing a report outlining options for regulation based on the experiences of other cities.  By evaluating how this has been implemented in other cities, we have the opportunity to learn from the ideas that have been most successful.

In recent weeks, the City of Saskatoon has been in dialogue with the provincial government about ride sharing and the need for clarity from the Province on the rules for insurance and licensing in Saskatchewan.  As part of this I have communicated the following principles be considered as they develop options:

• That the system provide for a convenient, safe and predictable transportation option for Saskatoon citizens and visitors.
• That the system ensure that there are services for transportation options 24/7—not just at times when there is highest demand.
• That, as much as possible, the rules are fair between ridesharing companies and the taxi operators so that one system does not benefit over  the other. We know that in order for ride sharing to occur, and if we want to attempt to have a level playing field, there will have to be changes to the current taxi and limousine industries.  

The discussions have been moving forward with the Province and we expect to see more information in coming months to clarify how ride sharing will play out in Saskatchewan.