76% of car drivers do their commute alone.
95% of the time cars sit unused.
Vancouver’s downtown core has 400 parking lots.
Ride-sharing provides a seamless transportation option that reduces impaired driving and improved access to affordable, reliable transportation.
Vancouver is one of North America’s largest cities without ride-sharing. But that’s about to change and Traction on Demand CEO Greg Malpass wants to ensure that it is a success.
Malpass is rallying Vancouver’s tech leaders to support ride-sharing and what better way to do it then to give them an inside look at what it takes to become a certified driver.
At a networking event last night Lyft and Valley Driving School walked a packed room through the steps involved.
Why is a driving school involved? The B.C. government is requiring that all ride-sharing drivers have a class four commercial licence.
The process for getting a class four licence includes a knowledge test, a road test, a vehicle inspection and a medical exam. Lyft drivers are licensed the same way as ambulance and school bus drivers.
Unlike other cities where Lyft drivers can get certified and driving in 3-5 days, the process in Vancouver is time-consuming and tedious.
Lyft’s General Manager for B.C., Peter Lukomskyj, suggested that drivers that commit to the process of getting licensed and certified should be able to do it in 6-8 weeks.
And every step costs money, which is why Lyft is providing incentives for drivers that become licensed and drive for Lyft.
The class four commercial license requirement is going to make it hard for Lyft and competitors to find enough drivers in this market. If ride-sharing companies can’t find enough drivers, operating areas could be smaller and wait times long when ride-sharing launches later this fall.
While Malpass has no intention of giving up his day job, he’s committed to becoming a Lyft driver and promises to share the licensing experience for all to see.
Lukomskyj was recruited by Lyft to run operations for what will likely be their most difficult city launch to date.
No doubt because of his alignment around Lyft’s mission of building cities around people, not cars, but his positive outlook on what many view as an impossible task likely sealed the deal.
Can true ride-sharing come to fruition in Vancouver? Or will a lack of ride-sharing drivers just exasperate the lack of supply that we currently experience today with taxis?
Lukomskyj is keeping his eyes on the road and focusing on the destination. He doesn’t have a choice. He just got his class four learners license and is practicing for his upcoming road test.