The B.C. government is cracking down on party buses and limousines, quadrupling the fines for commercial vehicles that do not meet inspection standards.
Those who do not display valid decals confirming they have passed a safety inspection will now face a $318 fine, up from $81.
The increases, announced Friday, are part of a suite of new measures in the works by the province. They come two years after a Langley woman died after she fell out of an open door of a party bus as it made a left turn in downtown Vancouver.
READ MORE: Party bus reforms urged after Langley woman dies in Vancouver
“For a long time, the party bus industry has been ignored, leaving glaring gaps in safety,” said Transportation Minister Claire Trevena.
The ministry will work with the Passenger Transportation Board to enforce the following measures as early as next year:
- having a safety monitor or chaperones if a minor is on board a party bus
- requiring minors to have a signed consent form from a parent or guardian
- having new licensees of party buses submit a passenger safety plan to show they are capable of providing a safe service
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installing cameras in party buses, similar to the taxi camera program
- requiring party bus operators to install an emergency alert system in vehicles with separate passenger compartment
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