Rideshare competition expands as Uber arrives in Greater Sudbury

Uber has entered the Greater Sudbury marketplace, with the U.S.-headquartered company joining other options already available in the Nickel City

Effective today, Greater Sudburians can fire up an Uber app and request a ride. The service is also now available through a wide swath of northeastern Ontario.

The company joins other rideshare companies already operating in Greater Sudbury, including URide, Y Drive and SettleInn DriveU, which was locally developed and tailored for newcomers.

Uber’s expansion between Gravenhurst and Cochrane, including Greater Sudbury, was announced last month. It was officially launched during a media event outside of Collège Boréal on Aug. 24, hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.

“This launch is about choice and connection, it’s another way to get to work, to reach a medical appointment, reach a local business or get home safely at the end of the night,” Uber Canada head of public policy and communications Laura Miller told the crowd.

Front and centre during the media event was Mothers Against Drunk Driving, whose president, Steve Sullivan, said they welcome Uber’s expansion.

“Every community deserves to have a safe way home, and that shouldn’t depend on where you live,” he said. “MADD Canada has long stressed the importance of giving people as many options as possible to get home safely.”

Sudburian Kim Hancock also spoke at the event. Her 18-year-old son, DJ, died on Aug. 22, 2014, after an impaired driver crashed into his vehicle head-on. His name is on a memorial park in the city’s South End, and the Hancock family has advocated against impaired driving in various capacities ever since, including DJ’s older sister, Jaymie-Lyne, spending time as national president of MADD Canada.

“There are always choices; choices that don’t involve driving impaired,” Hancock said during the Aug. 24 Uber launch event.

“Having another option like Uber adds another important tool to the toolbox for the people of the north. … This is something the north has needed for a long time.”

Following the public remarks, Miller declined to share with Sudbury.com how many local drivers Uber has enlisted thus far, but said, “we have enough to support the launch.”

Drivers go through background screening, vehicle inspection and a training program before being onboarded, she said.

“As drivers are coming through, we’re excited to have more drivers join us, but we feel confident that we can launch.”

In light of recent pushback against U.S.-headquartered businesses in the wake of ongoing tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Sudbury.com asked how Uber markets themselves locally when Canadian-based rideshare options are already available.

“Canadians are thinking about these things as they go forward, but just understanding that these are hyper-local transactions, the driver lives here in this community,” she said.

“We’re a global company based in California, but we’re really proud of the investments we’ve made here and the community connections we’ve made.”

They have more than 500 people employed across Canada and develop the software which powers the global company in Toronto.

“We find that when rideshare is enabled in a community, you actually see the overall market for these types of trips grow,” she said. “It’s just good for local residents to have a choice, and local drivers as well.”

On what sets Uber apart, Miller cited safety features in the app which go beyond provincial rules which serve as a foundation. There’s in-app audio recording, a location tracker and a four-digit security code used to verify the passenger is getting into the correct vehicle and the driver is picking up the correct passenger.

“We have a really strong package of safety features in the platform,” Miller said, adding that after working in more than 700 municipalities across Canada, there have been “lots of learnings and lessons.”

Miller credited action on the part of the province in creating a consistent rideshare framework with helping make it easier for the company to expand. This consistency between municipal jurisdictions helps eliminate past barriers wherein drivers would have been unable to cross municipal boundaries or prohibit them from picking passengers up for a return trip.

Meanwhile, ridesharing has already existed in the region for a while, with Cody Ruberto founding URide in Thunder Bay in 2017 in an effort to reduce impaired driving. This service expanded to include Greater Sudbury in 2019.

Fellow Canadian company Y Ride launched in Greater Sudbury last month and already has approximately 45 local drivers, company co-founder Rob Davidson told Sudbury.com this week.

“With new sign ups happening daily, but takes some time with background checks and inspections, etc.” Davidson added.

In a media release issued during last month’s launch, Davidson said, “Our goal has always been simple: provide a dependable rideshare service with local support and a great experience for both riders and drivers. We believe Sudbury deserves more choice, and we’re excited to be part of the community.”

These ride share companies are in addition to the nine taxi companies licensed to operate in Greater Sudbury and GOVA Transit options.

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.