UMTI director discusses “Ubering” Winnipeg
Adolf K.Y. Ng, director of the University of Manitoba Transport Institute, recently spoke on a public roundtable discussion called “Ubering the City: Understanding the Changes to Transportation in Winnipeg”. The roundtable was held in UM’s Fort Gary Campus, Winnipeg, MB, on Dec 14, 2017.
Co-organized by the UM Humanities Institute and Wilfred Laurier University, and funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the roundtable explored people’s visions of new ride-hailing technologies and the effect those technologies would have on other systems of transportation systems (e.g., the taxi industry) in Winnipeg. They also explored what ride-hailing companies mean for the culture of work, and the strengths and weaknesses of the bylaws on personal transportation providers (PTP) recently proposed by the City of Winnipeg.
During the roundtable, Ng highlighted the importance of “flexibility in mobility” in deciding the success of PTP services (e.g., Uber, Lyft) and the implementation of the bylaws in Winnipeg. He also pointed out the similarities and differences between passengers and PTP/taxi drivers in perceiving safety during the delivery of services, and the need to develop sound public policies to ensure the quality of PTP services.
Ng was joined on the panel by representatives from Winnipeg Public Transit, UM Department of Labour Studies/Sociology, Winnipeg Taxicab Board, Winnipeg Community Taxi Coalition, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ikwe Safe Rides, Women Helping Women, and Wilfred Laurier University.