Two ride-hailing services expected on city streets Friday

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This article was published 28/02/2018 (2922 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg, meet ride-hailing.

As of Wednesday, three companies — TappCar, Cowboy Taxi and InstaRyde — were licensed to hit city streets to begin picking up people looking for an alternative to city taxi companies.

But Winnipeggers eager to test out the new services will have to wait until Friday to test out two of the services.

TappCar and Cowboy Taxi — both Alberta-based — have pledged to have drivers on Winnipeg roads Friday, although neither company could say Wednesday just how many vehicles they’ll have operating at first.

Winnipeg’s new vehicle-for-hire bylaw goes in effect Thursday, smashing local taxi companies long-standing monopoly on the market.

TappCar and Cowboy Taxi say they have received hundreds of applications from local drivers interested in working for them. The companies are currently vetting and training drivers to get them ready for the weekend.

“In the 24 hours since we’ve announced, we’ve seen the interest from the Winnipeg market. The cab companies have had a monopoly out there for so long,” Cowboy Taxi owner Mo Benini said Wednesday.

“We’re coming to compete, to provide the best customer services and make our competition better by competing with them. We have a product that we think is the best out there.”

It isn’t currently known when InstaRyde — or U2GO, another ride-hailing service in talks with MPI — will begin operating in the city.

All four companies are expected to offer services similar to those offered by Uber, which operates internationally, and Lyft, which operates in the U.S. and Ontario.

The two industry giants, both of which previously indicated interest in the Winnipeg market, are on the outside, looking in at the moment.

They say the insurance framework offered by MPI does not allow true ride-hailing to operate in the province. They’re hoping the Crown company will eventually reconsider.

Benini is sharply critical of the position taken by Uber and Lyft, saying the industry leaders are, simply, scared of the competition they’ll face in the province.

“The insurance in Manitoba for ride-sharing is the best in Canada. Manitoba is the only province in Canada that did not bend over backwards for Uber, like Ontario and Alberta did,” Benini said.

“The province of Manitoba and MPI have created a level playing field that will allow any ride-sharing company to compete. That’s why (Uber and Lyft are) staying away.”

Cowboy Taxi says it’ll have several different services available: economy cars, luxury vehicles, minivans and handi-vans. In addition, they’ll also be offering something they’re calling “girl power.” Available to women only, Cowboy Taxi’s “girl power” service will enable female customers to get female drivers. “It’ll be a unique product in Winnipeg. We’ll be signing up women drivers. For all the females who have had bad conversations, or bad experiences, with male cab drivers in the past, this will be an option for them,” Benini said.

“They’ll be guaranteed to get a female driver. But we hope, after time, we’ll be able to build that trust back, so they’ll feel safe trying all of our services.”

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe