An Uber question

Should Uber drivers be better qualified than regular drivers?

 should hope so.

In reality, around the world that is not the case that taxi or Uber drivers are better qualified.

Most of Uber’s driver ratings have to do with pleasantries and service than reliable and safe driver skill. I am certainly an Uber passenger, but I fail to see the argument that drivers should be allowed to have a regular Class 5 licence only.

Take a look on B.C. highways and look at the demonstrated standard of driving and you should be afraid of even being on the road. 

The fact that the government wants to impose a licence requirement similar to commercial vehicle operators is admirable, but, frankly, it is not enough.

The ability to pass a test and acquire a licence assumes that you can meet the minimum standards required. 

What is missing is a commitment to recurrent driver training that teaches people how to “drive their car” not how to pass a test, which is the way the system is set up today. 

Nobody gets standard or mandatory training in winter driving; it is just implied here that we drive in winter.

But if your Uber driver or, for that matter, a cab driver, gets in to an uncontrolled skid, do they have the knowledge and skills required to get out of it?

Likely not unless they are a retired RCMP driver. 

The point is, the basic licence means very little and Uber should be more concerned that their drivers are “good and competent drivers” rather than complaining about a licence that is pretty standard for people making a living moving people around in a vehicle.

Sadly, to my knowledge, nobody is looking at recurrent training, and nobody is looking at advanced driver development.

We can only hope that any driver has the required stills to avoid or mitigate a preventable incident.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.