Governance matters: Regulating ride hailing platforms in Canada's largest city-regions

Abstract

While scholars acknowledge the important role played by regulators in managing ride hailing and its impacts on cities, few studies have explored the implications for developing ride hailing regulations at different levels of governance. This paper examines regulatory approaches to ride hailing in Canada's three largest metropolitan regions: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Though united by a national border, these three regions are subject to unique governance approaches, histories, and trajectories. Although ground transportation in Canada usually falls within local or municipal authority, only Toronto, amongst these three city-regions, treats the regulation of ground transportation as a local responsibility. In both Montreal and Vancouver, which are subject to different regulatory and governance structures, ride hailing is primarily regulated at the provincial level. As a more detailed examination reveals, we can further distinguish the three metropolitan areas based on the extent of intraregional coordination and regional mobility. By introducing these two concepts, the paper explores both the intended and unintended regional impacts of ride hailing regulations. These findings are relevant not only to ride hailing, but also to broader questions about governing both regional mobility and the platform economy.