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.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'