Coquitlam is giving a thumbs-up to an ask from three Fraser Valley communities to join the region's ride-hailing agreement.
On Monday (April 24), city council unanimously gave three readings to a bylaw allowing the districts of Hope and Kent, as well as the City of Mission, to be included in the Intermunicipal Business Licence (IMBL) program.
(Mayor Richard Stewart was not at the council meeting.)
Coquitlam is one of 28 municipalities in Region 1 — spanning Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Squamish–Lillooet — that must sign off for the three municipalities to join the agreement with the BC Passenger Transportation Board.
On April 12, Vancouver, which is the regional licensing authority, OK'd the expansion of ride-hailing services to Hope, Kent and Mission.
Should all 28 municipalities endorse the request, the revised agreement would come into effect on June 1, meaning companies like Uber and Lyft can operate in those areas.
Coquitlam has been part of the IMBL agreement since March 2020; at that time, 25 municipalities in Region 1 participated — three less than today.
The IMBL bylaw addresses the licensing fee, revenue-sharing formula and distribution, and the overall administration of the licence, according to a report from Stephanie James, Coquitlam's general manager of legislative services.
"Staff from the participating members of the IMBL meet on a regular basis to discuss ride-hailing related matters such as enforcement, policy coordination, research and knowledge sharing," she wrote in her report to council.
