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Letter: Regulated taxicabs preserve safety

The Columbian
Published: November 25, 2014, 12:00am

Vancouver hasn’t yet allowed Uber to operate in the city. A Nov. 18 story reported “Vancouver City Council divided on taxi deregulation.” Seattle allows Uber; Portland and Eugene, Ore., do not. There are three taxicab companies in Vancouver probably not wanting to compete with Uber, a fast and easy ride-sharing app on smartphones. We need to realize this offer isn’t safe. Uber can’t be trusted; they’ve been operating illegally in Vancouver since this summer. People are beginning to rely on Uber. These drivers go through a background check, carry specific insurance and have inspections on their vehicles. The city of Vancouver’s taxi code requires licensed taxicab companies to meet all safety, licensing and fee requirements.

Uber doesn’t have a central business location, and background checks don’t say anything about a person. The public isn’t safe to rely on or trust Uber.

The Vancouver City Council is considering a change to the regulations for Uber to include them in the city’s code. Minimizing the amount of technology we rely on is the first step, then make everyone stop and realize what Uber is doing by convincing the city council to keep the taxi code the same. It doesn’t need to be changed. Life isn’t meant to be convenient if the public’s safety is the worry.

Emily Ek

Battle Ground

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