Another way of transportation could soon be travelling into the Port City.
On Monday, Saint John Common Council approved the city’s new ridesharing bylaw.
It comes after the province made amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act in 2020 to allow ridesharing companies to offer services where municipalities have a governing bylaw.
Commissioner of Transportation, Michael Hugenholtz, mentioned that city staff anticipates there may be the requirement to create additional amendments to the bylaw.
“Which is based on market feedback, and there may be some further work to do on other provisions, such as insurance in terms of advocacy with the province, and also some work to ensure a good regional framework to enable rideshare companies to set up in our market,” said Hugenholtz.
Under current provincial rules, rideshare drivers would not be able to pick up or drop off passengers in neighbouring municipalities, such as Quispamsis, Rothesay or Grand Bay-Westfield, unless those communities also have a similar bylaw in place.
Hugenholtz said city staff have contacted outlying municipalities and asked them to consider doing just that.
Quispamsis Coun. Noah Donovan is requesting that the town investigate the idea of putting a similar ridesharing bylaw in place.
The approval will make Saint John the second municipality in New Brunswick to allow ridesharing services.
Fredericton has had a ridesharing bylaw for more than two years, but there are no companies currently operating in the city.
