After years of calls to allow ride-share services to be established in Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial government is finally introducing legislative amendments to allow it to happen.

Premier Andrew Furey says Digital Government and Service NL Minister Sarah Stoodley will introduce the proposed amendments during the fall sitting of the House of Assembly.

“There is room for taxis and ride sharing services in the province,” says Furey, “It really doesn’t have to be one vs the other.”

The changes will eliminate the requirement for a written test and on-road practical test to get a Class 4 driver’s licence to drive either a taxi or ride sharing vehicle, and waive the requirement for a taxi licence plate to be on any ride sharing vehicle.

Reaction to legislative changes that would open the door for ridesharing companies such as Uber to operate in Newfoundland and Labrador thus far has been positive.

The province announced the details of the regulations yesterday.

Peter Gulliver, whose family owns and operates City Wide Taxi, Bugdens Taxi, and Newfound Cabs, welcomes the updated regulations.

He says as long as everyone is playing on the same ballfield, he has no issue.

The legislative changes are different from the rest of Canada in that there is no onus on municipalities to have their own by-laws and regulations.

St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen is in favour of going that route.

He says it doesn’t make sense for neighbouring municipalities to have varying rules, and this is the best way to go to regulate the industry.