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3 illegal ride-hail drivers fined in Richmond, RCMP say

Police in Richmond issued three tickets to drivers allegedly working for unlicensed ride-hailing companies late last month. (Richmond RCMP) Police in Richmond issued three tickets to drivers allegedly working for unlicensed ride-hailing companies late last month. (Richmond RCMP)
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Police in Richmond issued three tickets to drivers allegedly working for unlicensed ride-hailing companies late last month.

In an operation conducted in partnership with passenger transportation enforcement officers from the Ministry of Transportation, the Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit issued nearly $1,800 in fines to each of the three drivers it stopped on July 27.

The sum comes from the following charges:

  • $1,150 for operating a commercial passenger vehicle without a permit, contrary to the BC Passenger Transportation Act
  • $276 for operating a commercial passenger vehicle with the wrong class of driver's licence, contrary to the BC Motor Vehicle Act
  • And $357 for operating a commercial passenger vehicle without a certificate of inspection, contrary to the BC Motor Vehicle Act Regulations

None of the three drivers stopped last month had been identified as unlicensed ride-hail operators in Richmond before, but one of them was identified as such during "a similar project in Burnaby earlier this year," police said in a news release.

In addition to the fines, that driver had his licence plates seized and his vehicle towed. He was also issued a notice and order for an immediate vehicle inspection because of visible damage to his vehicle.

"Richmond RCMP is committed to promoting safety on our streets and roadways," said spokesperson Cpl. Ian Henderson in the release.

"By continuing to coordinate with our counterparts at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit continues to identify and disrupt passenger vehicle operators whose entrepreneurial endeavors are unlicensed, unsafe and unwelcome in our community."

This is far from the first time police have cracked down on illegal ride-hailing operations in Richmond.

In June, they invited television cameras to accompany them on a sting outside the Canada Line's Templeton Station. 

At the time, Perry Dennis, deputy registrar and director of operations for the Passenger Transportation Board, said unlicensed ride-hailing companies operate throughout Metro Vancouver, but Richmond and the City of Vancouver, in particular, have been hotbeds of the illegal activity.

Such companies – Dennis named Raccoongo and Udi, specifically – are not licensed to operate in Metro Vancouver, and their drivers typically do not have the Class 4 driver's licences required by law. That means they haven't gone through the training that drivers for Uber, Lyft and other legal ride-hailing and taxi companies have, Dennis said.

Enforcement efforts typically target the drivers, not the passengers or the companies that developed the unlicensed ride-hailing apps.

In June, Dennis said the PTB had communicated with the City of Richmond about the possibility of targeting passengers as well, but there were no immediate plans to do so.

Likewise, Dennis was asked about going after the developers, which he said the PTB's legal division is working to do, noting that the law allows for fines of $100,000 per day for such companies. The companies in question are not based in Richmond, he said.  

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