Competition heats up; New ride-hailing service launches in Ontario

 

 

A new ride-hailing service is launching in Canada to compete with Uber and Lyft. Estonian company Bolt announced Tuesday that it has launched its Hop ride-hailing service in the Greater Toronto Area. Hop operates in 600 cities in 50 countries. Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill will also be added to the list of cities. Observers say Hop will have to overcome many challenges in Canada at the beginning. It is believed that Hop will have to work hard to make the service popular.

Hop faces stiff competition from Uber, which has been around since 2012, Lyft, which has been in service since 2017, and several other local companies. Hop has high hopes for Canada, says David Riggs, general manager of Canada. He said he believes Hop can succeed in Canada given the current lack of ride-hailing services in the country and the choice of convenient travel options for passengers.

He said the affordable fares will attract more passengers. Hop also offers higher earnings for drivers.