VANCOUVER— This week the Christy Clark government did a 180 degree turn on their position on Uber, but now that position has come full circle, say the New Democrats.

“Several months ago, Christy Clark’s transportation minister said ‘no way’ to Uber operating in B.C.,” said New Democrat MLA, George Heyman. “Then just days ago, Christy Clark’s government did a 180-degree turn, telling voters in a by-election that Uber is coming, and that it’s just a matter of ‘when.’”

“That flip-flop came without any explanation, and following closed door meetings with Uber,” said Heyman.

Heyman said that the 180 degree flip-flop has now gone 360 degrees, and has turned into a flip-flop-flip.

On Thursday, under pressure from media, Clark’s Transportation Minister, Todd Stone, now says that at some point in the future, companies like Uber “might” be here, but “not any time soon.”

Harry Bains, New Democrat MLA for Surrey-Newton, said depending on what community you are in, you get a completely different position from the Christy Clark government.

“Christy Clark’s government told the taxi industry ‘no way’ to Uber. Then, they said that ‘Uber is on its way’ to Coquitlam voters. Then, the Christy Clark government said ‘not any time soon’ to the Indo-Canadian community,” said Bains.

John Horgan and the New Democrats stand firm in our support for the evolution of transportation models that work for British Columbians, but it is essential that as we let new companies and models enter the market, that we ensure that there is a fair playing field, that companies follow the same regulations and that customers’ safety is ensured.

“This isn’t about yes or no to Uber or any other model. It is about the Transportation Minister’s word to customers and taxi operators, and about the convenience and safety of passengers,” said Heyman. “There are solutions that deliver on this, and Minister Stone appears to be buckling rather than looking for these solutions, as he promised he would.”