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What you have to understand about B.C. is that the winning political party has to appease the voters in a few concentrated ridings where a large number of peopl
by ttul 3y ago
What you have to understand about B.C. is that the winning political party has to appease the voters in a few concentrated ridings where a large number of people earn a living in the personal transportation business, driving taxis and Ubers. This block of voters kept ride sharing services out for 10 years; I am not surprised at all that driverless cars have been banned - purportedly for safety reasons - because driverless cars will eventually eliminate the jobs of thousands of drivers.
It’s also an election year here, so we all expect some crazy announcements to appease various groups before Election Day. After that, anything goes, depending on who wins.
- ska 3y ago> because driverless cars will eventually eliminate the jobs of thousands of drivers. This isn’t really plausible in a time frame usually relevant to electoral politics. Safety issues are real today. You can argue the risks aren’t too elevated, but you can also do the political calculus …
- ttul 2y agoIt’s plausible in the minds of the taxi drivers, and that’s all that matters for getting reelected in the fall.
- ska 2y agoIs it though? I've asked a few uber/taxi drivers and they all have sort of laughed at the idea. Not a scientific sample of course. And there are clearly politics being played on all sides of the issue.
- ausbah 3y ago> because driverless cars will eventually eliminate the jobs of thousands of drivers can you really blame ppl then? especially when the best answer given by tech advocates is just “you’ll eventually find another job as industries shift but only after we’ve made a fortune automating you’re livelihood”
- tharmas 3y agoCanada is all about low wage service jobs. That's what the high immigration numbers are for.
- 486sx33 2y agoWell, that’s quite a political angle! I’d hazard to guess it has more to do with the fact that automotive insurance in BC is government run insurance and they want to limit their liabilities. But, it could be the limo mafia too as you say
- ttul 2y agoSeems plausible to me. The taxi drivers kept Uber and Lyft out for longer than any other city in North America.