Uber Competitor Eva Launches in Montreal

Summary

Uber’s fledgling Quebec rival is now up and running.

Eva, a Montreal-based cooperative that bills itself as a ‘’socially acceptable’’ alternative to the U.S. ride-sharing behemoth, officially began carrying local residents Monday after a three-week trial period. Its signature black and gold logo now adorns the vehicles operated by more than 100 drivers — some of whom also work for Uber as independent contractors.

“This is the culmination of more than 20 months of work and 20,000 lines of code,’’ co-founder Raphael Gaudreault said Monday in an interview in downtown Montreal after unveiling the ride-sharing application.

Eva’s launch comes as Quebec’s legacy taxi companies grapple with unprecedented turmoil as ride-sharing becomes commonplace and the provincial government mulls ways of rewriting industry rules.