A working group is ready to present a draft of an inter-municipal business license for ride-hailing operators in the south coast of B.C.

This was indicated by Geoff Cross, vice president of transportation planning and policy with TransLink, in a report to the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation.

According to Cross, the working group is composed of representatives from participating municipalities in the so-called Region 1 defined by the Provincial Transportation Board.

So far, the PTB has approved Uber, Lyft, and Whistle to operate in Region 1, which covers Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.

Cross said an interim inter-municipal business license is expected to be presented by the working group on Friday (January 31).

Cross said that staff from participating municipalities will bring the proposed regional license for consideration by their respective city councils.

A regional license is anticipated to be in place across the region in late March or early April, according to Cross.

Cross explained that the license would work as the sole license required for participating municipalities.