Mounties in Richmond say more than $66,000 worth of fines have been handed out to illegal ride-hailing operators in the city over a three-month span.
The RCMP says the sting “focused on identifying and apprehending unlicensed ride-hailing operators” in the city, noting it was part of a joint operation with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement (CVSE).
According to police, in one case, a driver was a registered sex offender, while others had prior convictions for impaired driving.
The operation, carried out over six days during the three months, nabbed a total of 29 drivers who allegedly were operating without the required licence.
One driver was a registered sex offender: RCMP
Police say about a third of the drivers caught were “repeat offenders.”
“In one case it was the driver’s third time being caught,” the RCMP said in a release Thursday morning.
“There are a number of steps legal ride-hailing operators must take to be certified to operate in B.C. These protections have been put in place to ensure the overall safety of paying passengers and other road users,” said Insp. Mark Baxter.
Richmond RCMP officers stop drivers who are allegedly operating ride-hailing services without the appropriate licence. (Courtesy Richmond RCMP)
“Some of the drivers that were stopped during these operations have poor driving records, prior convictions for impaired driving, and in one case the driver was a registered sex offender. All of these are things which would preclude the person from working for a properly licensed operator.”
Charges the drivers are facing include operating without a licence under the Passenger Transportation Act, worth $1,150, having the wrong class driver’s license, worth $276, and failing to display a valid certificate as required by the Motor Vehicle Act, worth $357.