Lyft expands Lower Mainland service region in competition with Uber

Photo: Glacier Media

Lyft vs Uber service areas in the Lower Mainland.

Metro Vancouver residents looking for more transportation options as the economy reopens can venture a little deeper into the region with Lyft.

The ride-hailing giant has launched services in Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Belcarra, Langley, Lions Bay and Bowen Island effective July 9.

When Lyft initially entered the B.C. market, it originally only operated in what it described as a “core area.”

That included Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, the Pacific National Exhibition grounds near Burnaby and what it described as the “core” of the City of Vancouver.

The expansion of Lyft’s service area comes after Uber announced June 25 it was moving deeper into the Fraser Valley with services in Abbotsford, Aldergrove and Langley Township.

Lyft’s service area goes further north than Uber’s, while Uber’s service area stretches further east.

The pandemic, however, stymied the demand for ride-hailing services just a few weeks after Lyft and Uber began offering sanctioned services in B.C. for the first time.

“What we’ve seen from drivers is they’re encouraged by the fact that people are getting out and moving around the region again,” Lyft’s general manager for B.C., Peter Lukomskyj said.

“We saw drivers who wanted to work through the pandemic, and now we’re seeing not just those drivers but new drivers come onto the platform as well. And obviously we’re facilitating that, making it as easy as possible for people to drive.”

The company has implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfection guidelines for vehicles, but Lukomskyj acknowledged there might still be psychological barriers for some passengers.