Five Richmond drivers were caught running unlicensed ride-hailing services last month, with three of them being repeat offenders.
Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit (RSU) teamed up with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure's Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement (CVSE) to crack down on these illegal operators on July 24
These drivers were charged under the Passenger Transportation Act for operating without a business license and under the Motor Vehicle Act for not having the or having the wrong class license or failing to display a valid certificate.
More than $11,500 in fines were handed out. This does not include additional costs for towing and storing the vehicles of the repeat offenders.
To catch these drivers, RSU and CVSE officers used unauthorized ride-hailing apps to book rides.
According to Richmond RCMP, these unlicensed drivers often bypass necessary background checks and safety protocols required by the provincial government, which the police describe as a "significant risk to public safety."
"These unlicensed operators pose a risk to the public as they are not complying with mandatory legislative requirements, such as criminal record checks and vehicle licensing," said Staff Sgt. Paula Maan.
"Anyone using these illegal ride-hailing services needs to understand they are putting themselves at risk which is why we will continue to conduct these joint operations with our partners at CVSE."
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