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City Councillor wants to start Uber conversation in Grande Prairie

Apr 12, 2018 | 5:01 AM

A City Councillor is interested in sparking up a conversation around the Uber app, Grande Prairie, and how the two could intertwine in the future.

After a recent conversation at a committee meeting and following a family trip to the United States, Wade Pilat says he is intrigued by the concept. He voiced his interest twice during the Monday City Council meeting.

“It seems like a really simple service and when I talked to people, they seemed more safe and secure. They were utilizing it more than I feel we use our cab systems and transportation systems now. Maybe, it would be an opportunity to get in front of the conversation before we keep going down the path with whatever we plan on doing with transit. I don’t want to come across anti-transit by any means. I just want to make sure we are utilizing the best way to get around the city,” said Pilat.

He wasn’t aware of how it worked before his trip and although he didn’t use it personally, someone along the way had explained how it functioned.

“Just looking at the cost, when the gentleman showed me how to use Uber down there, it seemed like a really affordable way to move around the municipality. People seemed generally safe using it.”

Pilat explains that he doesn’t sit on the Infrastructure and Protective Services Committee and will have to nudge another councillor to bring up the topic at a future meeting on his behalf.

Mayor Bill Given recently reached out to Uber for input on the future of transportation.

In Alberta, residents are able to use the app in Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge, and Red Deer.

During an interview with the EverythingGP newsroom last week, Given said the company hasn’t shown any interest in the Swan City as a place to start up their service.