October 1, 2014

Surrey, BC – Surrey Mayoral candidate Doug McCallum received the endorsement of 5 Surrey taxi companies this afternoon following a meeting with over 100 representatives and executive members.The companies in attendance and now offering public support of McCallum include:  Newton Whalley HiWay Taxi, Surdell Kennedy Taxi,  Delta Sunshine Taxi, Guildford Cab Ltd. and Pacific Cabs Ltd.

McCallum received the endorsement after expressing his staunch opinions on fighting the entry of Uber into the Surrey market.

Spokesperson for the 5 companies Mohan Kang stated that McCallum’s strong record on transportation issues when serving as the Chair of Translink helped to secure the endorsement.

“Our companies are at a very critical point in history, and it is vital that we have a strong advocate in the Mayor’s chair to fight for our industry’s future,” says Kang.  “Doug had great success in working with other governments and external partners as Translink Chair, and our group is confident that this experience will be very important in the coming years.”

The ride sharing service Uber is now attempting to enter the Metro Vancouver market for the second time in 2 years.  The unregulated service provides a direct threat to the safety offered by cabs that are legally licensed by both the Passenger Transportation Board and their respective host cities.

This is an issue that McCallum intends to be very vocal about as Mayor.

“I understand the current threat to the Surrey taxi companies from Uber, and the city can no longer sit back and serve as a silent observer while such issues arise,” adds McCallum.  “As Mayor, I will be speaking directly to the Passenger Transportation Board in regards to stopping Uber from operating in the City of Surrey.”

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