UBCO researchers taking closer look at impact of ridesharing on Okanagan transportation

It has only been three years since Uber arrived in Kelowna to butt heads with local cabbies, and researchers at the UBC Okanagan want to find out what the actual impact has been.

Dr. Luis Aguiar and Dr. Manfred Elfstrom with their research assistant Osana Ratnaharan are looking for Uber drivers and taxi drivers to answer some questions about what it’s like to be a gig worker in Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton.

“The introduction of ride-hailing apps in Vancouver in Toronto, big metropolitan areas like that is very different to a smaller city like Kelowna. I think that’s where understanding is lacking, how region plays a part in how mobility is accessed and how job precarity, or gig jobs, play out according to region,” Ratnaharan said.

According to Uber’s latest numbers, Canadians spent around 70 million hours riding in 2024 which created a $13.6 billion economic impact including UberEats. Uber estimated that ridesharing took 260,000 cars off the road in 2024.

The UBCO team wants to take a closer, localized look at how Uber and other ridesharing services have affected transportation as well as the lives of the drivers themselves.

“Kelowna is increasingly economically polarized. Many people struggle to make ends meet so studying this industry in the context of Kelowna gives us kind of an insight into the gig economy,” Ratnaharan said.

Drivers are going to be asked about their experiences in the gig economy, what the pros and cons are of driving for a ridesharing app and what made them start.

Participants will get between $50 and $100 for participating in the study. Ratnaharan said it has been tricky to find drivers with the time to participate in the study.

“If you’re doing Uber sometimes you’re working long shifts and trying to make ends meet. So I wonder if that plays into people having the time,” she said.

The goal is to put workers at the forefront of our understanding of the gig economy and transportation industry in the Okanagan.

“Really centre the Uber drivers and the taxi drivers and their responses, then as we go, understanding and piecing together what the transportation industry looks like in Kelowna,” Ratnaharan said.

Drivers who are interested in participating can reach out to Ratnaharan at oratnaha@student.ubc.ca.