Uber today announced the launch of UberX in Saskatoon, marking the first service of its kind available in Saskatchewan, after the province adopted new regulations in December to allow for ridesharing.
“We’re really excited about how [Saskatchewan] has embraced ridesharing, and it’s a great community of people who are really looking forward to seeing it,” Rob Khazzam, head of Uber’s ride-hailing operations in Canada, previously told Betakit. He noted that Uber had been working hard towards bringing ridesharing to the province.
“We’re really excited about how [Saskatchewan] has embraced ridesharing.”
The launch comes after the provincial government’s new regulation for ridesharing services, as well as changes in Saskatoon’s by-law, approving services like Lyft and Uber in December 2018.
Uber is also working to become available into cities across Canada, including Vancouver and Halifax. In October, the company stated that it hopes to expand into Halifax. It has also been working to persuade the provincial government in British Colombia to legalize ride-hailing services, which are currently banned across the entire province.
According to CBC, Uber also came to an agreement with Quebec in October to continue operating in the province for another year as part of an extended pilot project. Currently, Uber is only available in a handful of Canadian cities, including Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary.
As part of its launch in Saskatoon, Uber is also partnering with the provincial government-run auto insurance program, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), to allow drivers to use their personal vehicles without any additional insurance needed.
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Uber’s operations in Saskatoon also comes in partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, with both organizations looking to promote ridesharing services that result in less impaired driving.
“Having access to safe, convenient, and accessible transportation options is a crucial way to reduce impaired driving and related crashes, deaths, and injuries,” said Andrew Murie, CEO at MADD. “[We] very pleased that this important option is now available to the people of Saskatoon.”
It appears that Uberx is the only Uber service currently available in Saskatoon, with no word when more options like Pool, Express Pool, Select, and UberBlack will be available in the city.
With files from Isabelle Kirkwood.