The rideshare bylaw is being revised by Medicine Hat among driver background concerns. Tero Vesalainen/Dreamstime.com

By Jayk Sterkenburg

TRANSPORT

Medicine Hat rideshare bylaw in revision following public safety concerns

Mar 3, 2025 | 2:53 PM

The Ride for Hire Bylaw that allows the City of Medicine Hat to regulate taxis and rideshare companies is being revised to better suit current transportation trends, officials say.

There are currently six transportation network companies, or rideshare services, operating in Medicine Hat and area: Best Ride, Canadian Rideshare Ltd., MH Ride Ltd., Raymond’s Rideshare, Uride, and Y Drive.

The revision comes after several of the companies brought forward their concerns about public safety with the lack of driver oversight, or information required by the city to ensure consumer protection.

Shane Corboy, regional manager of Y Drive, says that background checks on registered drivers should be necessary, that involve criminal records.

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He said that those documents are important when the public is concerned.

“It’s a growing concern of just how simple it is to start up a company that deals with the vulnerable sector,” he told CHAT News.

“And not having proper legislation in place to properly enforce anything that comes in, any reports, anything like that,” he added.

“It’s a growing concern of just how simple it is to start up a company that deals with the vulnerable sector,” said Corboy. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

Corboy said that Y drive does do driver background checks within the company, although it is not currently enforced by the municipality.

“Right now, as it stands, a driver can be put on the road essentially with no checks. It’s scary,” he said.

Corboy says that last week, the city did send out an email to all of its rideshare companies.

The city’s planning and development division said that the business license inspector made a request to companies to provide a current police check, a driver’s license, and valid liability insurance.

However, the city was unable to comment further on the matter.

Trevor Penner, manager of Uride in Medicine Hat, said that when the city brings in a rideshare company, it needs to make sure they’re capable of providing necessary documentation.

He said, with rideshare services’ lesser regulations, it’s unfair to the taxi system.

“The benefit is it’s more efficient to the driver, and to the passenger. But on the other hand I feel bad for the taxis,” he said.

“I’m kind of an advocate for the taxis, being they’ve spent $40,000 for a share just recently, and to have something come in so unregulated- it’d be a hard pill to swallow.”

Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

Penner said that he was previously a taxi driver for 15 years, and has sympathy for the industry, but also understands that rideshare services are the future.

“The initial thought of the city to bring rideshare in was to have the vehicles already on the road, to utilize the vehicles,” he said.

“That’s not happening. We’re more or less just letting a bunch of companies come in and be taxis, having a similar insurance model.”

Corboy said that where public transit lacks, the taxi and the rideshare services come in and “save the day.”

He says safety is the main factor in the push for a revision to the Ride for Hire Bylaw.

“Better legislature when it comes to holding companies accountable, making sure the public is protected and operating a company on a level playing field with safety in mind,” he said.

Corboy said that he’s optimistic that the city has begun to show progress by taking the approach of requesting comprehensive driver information from companies.

He hopes it means a revision of a final enforceable bylaw that keeps public safety in mind down the road.