A Saint John councillor is welcoming new provincial legislation which would pave the way for ridesharing services.
The legislation, introduced last week, would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to operate in New Brunswick.
Coun. Greg Norton said the proposed legislation confirms the province is listening to municipalities.
“It’s listening to municipalities in terms of some of the very basic things that we need to make our cities more livable and improve the scope of services that we’re able to offer,” said Norton in a phone interview.
Norton, a councillor for Ward 1 in Saint John, has been advocating for ride-sharing services over the past decade.
He said he saw a gap in that the city cannot rely solely on transit and traditional taxis to move citizens and visitors around.
“It’s been difficult because ridesharing certainly wants to come to this part of the country, however, it needs to have an equal playing field along with traditional taxis,” said Norton.
The proposed legislation will do just that, he said, by giving those companies a competitive advantage and showing that New Brunswick is open for business.
Norton said he has heard from businesses and visitors who are surprised that ridesharing services are not already available in the city.
“Now we can go after ridesharing to come into our communities and fill those gaps,” he said. “We’re not going to see as many people waiting for transportation, we’re going to be able to see a more competitive marketplace, we’re going to see a higher-level quality of service.”
“At the end of the day, it gives us a greater menu of options as it relates to public transportation.”
Once the provincial legislation is passed, each municipality would still have to enact its own bylaws.
Norton said city staff are working on a report and he expects it will be presented to council early in the new year.
“The province has done their part, now we’ve got to do our part to roll out the welcome mat.”
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