Bus company tries to shutter web-based ride-share service
Found on Ars Technica on Friday, 22 August 2008
A Canadian bus company wants to shut down an upstart online car-pooling service called PickupPal, and even PickupPal's founder admits that his service is violating current Ontario law. But, in his view, it's the law that needs to change, not PickupPal.
Ontario has one of the strictest carpooling laws in the world. People who share rides can only travel from home to work and back again, must ride with the same driver every day, and can only pay by the week, among other restrictions.
PickupPal wants to draw a distinction between one-off ride-sharing to concerts or when traveling home on break and regular passenger services that really should be licensed by the state.
Trentway-Wagar ist just afraid of more competition. While "professional" drivers should indeed need a license, there's nothing wrong with your average John Doe offering a ride to split costs.