Uber expands across B.C., challenging local taxi and ride-hailing companies in some cities [Video]

Communities across B.C. will now have access to the ride-hailing app Uber starting Wednesday, as the company expands outside Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna. 

While this may be promising news for some, taxi and other ride-hailing companies operating in those smaller communities are making the pitch as to why passengers should stick with them. 

For example, Uride, which operates in Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George, Vernon, Comox and Courtenay, started in Thunder Bay, Ont., after CEO Cody Ruberto started giving rides to folks to prevent impaired driving. 

It works similarly to Uber and Lyft, where customers can order a ride on an app on their phone. 

“It’s kind of Canada’s homegrown rideshare company,” Ruberto told CBC’s The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn. 

Ruberto said they get a lot of uptake in the communities in which Uride operates, and they try to focus on driver satisfaction, which, in turn, usually translates to happy customers. 

“If we have …