A one-day operation by law enforcement resulted in six drivers being caught in Richmond operating illegal ride-hailing companies.
On Feb. 8, Richmond RCMP and Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) officers used unauthorized ride-hailing apps to book rides, resulting in $13,343 in fines issued to the six drivers.
Fines given out were for operating without a licence, having the wrong class of driver’s licence, failure to display valid certificate. The City of Richmond also issued bylaw tickets for operating without a business licence.
In addition, three “repeat offenders” will have to pay vehicle towing and storage fees, RCMP said.
In 2024, law enforcement held eight similar sting operations, resulting in more than $79,000 in fines to 35 ride-hailing drivers operating illegally.
Fines included $41,400 for operating without a valid licence, more than $9,000 for operating with the wrong driver’s licence, $11,000 for failure to display a valid certificate and more than $15,000 in municipal fines for operating without a business licence.
People who use illegal ride-hailing services put themselves at “significant risk,” said Staff Sgt. Paula Maan, NCO-in-charge of Richmond RCMP Operations Support.
“Neither the drivers nor their vehicles have been subjected to the mandatory safety regulations put in place to protect the public," Maan said.
"This includes criminal records checks, the importance of which we see clearly demonstrated during every operation, including this most recent where three of the six drivers stopped would be ineligible to drive for a legitimate service based on criminality.”
Click here for information about approved ride-hailing services and operators.
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