Rideshare company to launch in Vernon next week

Four months after it began advertising for drivers the rideshare operator Uride is launching in Vernon.

Uride drivers will be able to pick up their first passenger from 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27.

In a media release, the company says it has launched successfully in Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George and Nanaimo.

"The people of Vernon have been asking for a safe, reliable and affordable transportation option for a long, long time. With the massive success we’ve had in two bordering cities, Kelowna and Kamloops, we couldn’t be more excited to get our operations in Vernon up and running," Ravi Dhami with Uride said in the release.

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"We have a team of dedicated drivers looking forward to getting on the road and ensuring the days of long wait times are a thing of the past."

Elsewhere in Canada and around the world, companies like Uber and Lyft have become a regular sight for many years now, while B.C. and the souther Interior have been far slower to embrace app-based ridesharing.

Many have blamed the provincial government and its requirement that drivers have a Class 4 licence, the same as required for taxi drivers.

Uride doesn't give an indication of its prices or how many drivers it has ready to go.

The Ontario-based company does say it's offering incentives of $1,500 weekly guaranteed for fully committed drivers and a $500 sign-on bonus for those joining as part-time drivers.

For more information and to download the app go here.

READ MORE: Rideshare company planning Vernon launch

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