B-C’s transportation minister says the province consulted extensively with residents and the taxi industry before deciding to allow ride-hailing services like Uber by the end of the year. Todd Stone says the government will bring in initiatives to help the taxi industry remain competitive — such as investing one million dollars to help create an app that would allow people to hail and pay for a taxi. Taxis will also get exclusive rights to street hailing and I-C-B-C will work to make insurance more affordable for cab drivers. The Vancouver Taxi Association was quick to denounce the province’s plan and promised to fight it.