Meet Kelowna's first Uber driver

Ride hailing service Uber has finally launched in Kelowna, promising a more flexible approach to transport for passengers and drivers.

At a formal event outside City Hall on Tuesday, Mayor Tom Dyas was officially passenger No. 1. He was dropped off curbside by Balwinder Dhillon in his silver Hyundai Elantra, in front of awaiting media.

“It was great,” Dyas said as he got out of the car. “Balwinder is an unbelievable driver and while he was driving me around the corner, he got four beeps for rides.”

The Uber app went live for local rides at noon and demand is expected to be significant among Kelowna residents and tourists and, the city hopes, will help reduce traffic congestion.

“Transportation is council’s priority, and we want to see enhanced capacity and traffic flow on major roads, more trips by alternative transportation modes, and increased traffic safety,” Dyas said.

Not everyone is delighted about the multinational’s arrival. Rival company U-Ride had several drivers on the sidewalk and at least one watching Dyas’ speech gave a loud 'boo.’ Generally, when Uber starts up in a new location, there is concern over loss of earnings by established full-time taxi operators. Dyas acknowledged there would be some initial concerns.

“It’s something new, it’s something different so it needs a bit of time to work itself out in the community,” he said.

“We can absolutely co-exist with taxi and other rideshare companies,” Uber’s head of communications Laura Miller said. “The reality is reducing the reliance on single-occupancy vehicles on single car ownership is the goal here.”

Tourism Kelowna’s Lisanne Ballantyne said visitors arriving at the airport or downtown want to know what their options are for moving around.

“The more options we can provide for tourists the stronger our brand becomes right across Canada,” she explained.

For Dhillon, Kelowna’s first ever Uber driver, the ability to work flexible hours with his own vehicle is the big appeal. He’s worked for a local cab company and previously was a former long haul truck driver. He still does transport routes, but locally.

“This is not my only job, this is a side gig for me,” he told Kelowna10. “Uber gives you the choice: you want to do one hour, five hours, once a week, all week, it’s your choice. With inflation right now, it can be a good side earner.”

Uber has not said how many drivers it has signed up so far, but it is offering a $1,000 enticement for those completing 20 trips in their first 14 days.

Kelowna10 checked the app and saw five Uber vehicles were available for a ride from City Hall to the airport around 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The quote was $35. A local cab company has a set rate of $43, although Uber’s rates can surge based on demand and time of the day.

Uber got the green light to offer service in Kelowna (as well as Victoria) after the PTB okayed the transfer of the operating license from ReRyde, which was issued back in 2020. It will join existing ride-hailing services in the city, U-Ride and Lucky To Go.

Uber also started up in Victoria and Chilliwack Tuesday, and operates in the Lower Mainland and 140 other municipalities across the country.