The Vancouver Taxi Association had sought an emergency injunction against the ride-hailing services, which haven’t started operating in Vancouver.   -  Photo via Núcleo Editorial/Flickr.

The Vancouver Taxi Association had sought an emergency injunction against the ride-hailing services, which haven’t started operating in Vancouver. 

Photo via Núcleo Editorial/Flickr. 

A Supreme Court judge in British Columbia has refused a request by the taxi industry to block Uber and Lyft ride-hailing services in Vancouver, according to a report by Global News.

The Vancouver Taxi Association had sought an emergency injunction against the ride-hailing services, which haven’t started operating in Vancouver. 

The injunction would have been applied during the Passenger Transportation Board’s approval of the ride-hailing companies’ licenses, which can take several months, according to the report.

“In my view, the evidence taken at its best and assuming a causal connection that was not established, indicates there is a potential for an incremental decrease in revenue earned by taxi drivers,” said Madame Justice Veronica Jackson in her ruling. “By contract, if the stay is granted, it is certain that Uber and Lyft will be unable to generate any revenue at all.”

Vancouver Taxi Association’s spokesperson Carolyn Bauer said the taxi companies will still move forward with their application for a judicial review of the ride-hailing companies’ permits, according to the report.

“We’re not just standing here and saying no to Uber and Lyft,” said Bauer. “We’re not saying that; we’re saying bring it on fairly, bring it on equal for us so we have a chance.”

The taxi companies say that it’s not a level playing field between them and the ride-hailing services, since Uber and Lyft can operate in bigger areas with unlimited fleet sizes and for lower fares, says the report.

According to Michael van Hemmen, head of Western Canada for Uber, taxis and ride-hailing companies can coexist, but they use different business models and need to be regulated differently, says the report.

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