The American giant Uber is expanding in the province and will extend its transport service in all regions from June 14. The company has also just increased its rates by 11% in Quebec and introduced a temporary fuel surcharge.
In recent years, the Uber application was only available in Montreal, Quebec and Gatineau. Since the adoption of Law 17 in 2019, aimed at modernizing the taxi industry, the multinational can now gain weight as it pleases in all regions of Quebec.
“This is an important moment for Uber in Quebec as we will collaborate to meet the demand for transporting people in the four corners of Quebec,” said Jonathan Hamel, public affairs manager for Uber in Quebec, in a press release.
“We want to help people travel to have dinner in downtown Trois-Rivières, attend a festival in Sherbrooke and eat poutine in Drummondville or lobster in Gaspésie,” he added.
The multinational unveiled from Trois-Rivières on Friday its growth projects for the coming months.
For the temporary surcharge charged to users for gasoline, this measure has been in place since mid-March. It aims to compensate drivers for recent records at the pump. This 50 cent fee for one person transportation should be in place for at least 60 days.
Moreover, in this period of labor scarcity, Uber has decided to work twice as hard to find drivers in the new regions targeted. The criminal background of each person hired will be checked, promises the company.
“The first 100 new drivers who will make 20 trips during the first 21 days will receive an additional $1,000,” said the company, which has participated in the vaccination campaign in recent months.
Unlike the passenger transport service, the company’s delivery subsidiary, Uber Eats, has already been present for several months in certain regions, such as Trois-Rivières and Sherbrooke.
The new divisions for Uber
– Three Rivers
– Saguenay
– Sherbrooke
– Laurentides
– Rest of Quebec