Mayors in British Columbia's Lower Mainland have reached an agreement on an interim business licence for ride-hailing companies that want to operate in the region. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum, who has previously resisted the idea, threw his support behind the interim licence, saying it takes a major step forward in addressing the ``unfair advantage'' ride-hailing companies have over taxi businesses. The mayors' council on regional transportation, made up of 23 mayors, endorsed the proposed bylaw covering Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Squamish-Lillooet on Thursday, with the details rel

The proposed ride-hailing Inter-Municipal Business Licence (IMBL) that is supported by virtually all of Mayors’ Council takes a major step forward in addressing the unfair advantage that ride-hailing companies currently have over taxi companies. The following was approved almost unanimously by the Mayors’ Council: Endorse the principles and framework for establishing and administering an interim Inter-Municipal Business Licence (IMBL); Urge municipalities within Region 1 to adopt the associated interim IMBL bylaw as quickly as possible; Urge municipalities within Region 1 to harmonize

BC's provincial health officer says this province and the country are entering a critical phase in the global effort to halt the spread of a new type of coronavirus. At a news conference in Vancouver this morning, Henry says anyone who visited China and departed before that country imposed recent travel restrictions may be incubating the flu-like virus, and could begin showing symptoms now. She says testing is underway in BC to identify anyone who may be at risk of developing the illness, and 114 people have been checked so far, with testing expected to continue for at least another week.

The Premier's Office has issued the following statement: "We welcome today's announcement by the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs that they will join the Province of B.C. at a Wiggus/Respect Table."This Wiggus/Respect Table is an opportunity for all parties to work in good faith towards de-escalation, and we view this announcement as a positive sign that all involved are determined to find a peaceful resolution."

Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, has issued the following statement outlining new government initiatives designed to benefit the passenger transportation industry and passengers: “As part of our continued efforts to ensure fairness and opportunity for those who make a living in the passenger transportation industry and the passengers they carry, I am pleased to share two additional government initiatives. “For the past several months, our government has been working with ICBC and the taxi industry to create a new insurance product option for taxi drivers. The

The RCMP says it has identified a suspect linked to seven alleged assaults of women in or near Glen Park in Coquitlam, B.C. The Mounties say plainclothes investigators have identified the individual who was previously unknown to police. Cpl. Michael McLaughlin says in a news release there are ``extenuating circumstances'' involving the suspect that may have played a role in the alleged assaults. He says due to privacy concerns, the RCMP cannot go into detail about the suspect's circumstances, but public safety is its priority. The RCMP has previously said that the suspect targeted adult women

Police are warning the public about the sex assault of a teenage girl on Vancouver's west side. Vancouver police say a 17-year-old girl was walking home around 6 p.m. Tuesday. Police say an unknown man grabbed her from behind but she was able to fight him off and run away. The man is described as tall and wearing all black clothing. Police are asking anyone who was driving in the area of West 54th Avenue and Oak Street on Tuesday evening to contact police. Officers hope to track down footage from dash cams or Tesla vehicles equipped with factory video surveillance.

Premier John Horgan says Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum is putting up unnecessary roadblocks to ride-hailing and should listen to citizens in his community who want to see competition. The premier made the comments after the mayor alleged Uber was operating illegally in his city and threatened to issue 500 dollar tickets to drivers. Uber has responded by filing a court injunction to block the city from issuing the fines, which it says are illegal. The company says it holds a provincial permit to operate and Surrey has not created its own business licence for ride-hailing, so there is no bylaw t

British Columbia's police oversight agency says the actions of Vancouver police did not contribute to a crash that killed a cab driver last month.The Independent Investigations Office says police reported that just before 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 29, a Car2Go smart car made off from a road check on the city's east side.The office says a short time later an officer saw the same car driving at a high speed and the officer turned around to follow the car but lost sight of it and couldn't find it again.About 10 minutes later, the office says police received a report of a collision between a cab and the