Photo: Glacier Media

Uber is scheduled to be available across B.C. next month.

Uber is set to launch across all of B.C. next month.

The company has been operating in Vancouver since January 2020, and in Kelowna and Victoria since June 2023, but soon everyone from Kamloops to Osoyoos will be able to hitch a ride with the international ride-share behemoth. Uber Canada did not provide a specific launch date, saying only it will begin “in the next few weeks.”

“British Columbians and visitors alike are constantly opening the app to try and find a ride just like they can in most cities across the country,” Uber Canada general manager of mobility Michael van Hemmen said in a press release. “It’s time that residents across the province have the access to ride share as they do in Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna to help get them where they need to go, when they need to.”

Van Hemmen said Uber is looking for drivers across the entire province, noting rides will be available in areas only where drivers sign up to accept them. Uber Canada is offering a $500 incentive for eligible drivers who complete their profile and take 10 trips within the first four weeks of launch.

Uber was originally denied the right to operate outside the Lower Mainland, but it purchased the licence from another company, ReRyde, that was permitted to operate across the province. That transfer ultimately led to approval from BC’s Passenger Transportation Board.

More information about becoming an Uber driver can be found here.