A joint crackdown by authorities on illegal ride-hailing services in Richmond has resulted in 12 operators being fined and another 50 ticketed.

The City of Richmond, the Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) and the Richmond RCMP co-ordinated a joint action against the controversial services, which had, until recently, been operating under the radar without licenses and mostly offered on Chinese-language apps.

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Among the drivers stopped over the last two weeks, one was an “N” and another had an expired licence.

As a result of the crackdown:

*12 operators were stopped;

* PTB issued 12 tickets with fines of $1,150 each;

* City licencing inspector issued 36 tickets, three to each driver for: operating a business without a licence ($1,000 fine); failure to display a chauffeur’s permit ($50 fine); and failure to display a tariff card ($100 fine); RCMP issued five tickets; and one vehicle was towed.

According to the city, the operation consisted of enforcement officers from the PTB, Richmond’s Business Licences group, as well as an RCMP member.

Other enforcement operations have found drivers with prior driving infractions that prohibit them from driving.

Unlike licensed operators, these drivers have also not been required to clear a criminal record check.

“We are committed to working with our provincial partners to address this issue,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

“These types of services present significant public safety and security issues. Consumers need to be aware of the risks they place themselves in when using these services.”

The PTB said it welcomed the collaboration with other jurisdictions and is looking forward to stepping up “enforcement efforts in the coming months.”

Several companies operating under the names Longmao, Udi Kuaiche, U Drop, RaccoonGo, GoKabu, Dingdang Carpool, and AO Rideshare have developed ride-sourcing apps.

One of them, GoKabu, according to a former Global National Mandarin reporter, refused to pick up two passengers earlier in January, because one of them was non-Chinese.

The PTB has been conducting ongoing enforcement action against these services since last fall.

To date, the PTB has issued 20 cease and desist orders and 23 fines of $1,150 have been given to drivers identified as operating without a licence.

Passengers must know that when they hail a ride in a vehicle through these apps they are choosing to take a trip in a vehicle that has not been licenced to operate legally in B.C..

Current provincial and municipal regulatory requirements include a regular, government approved, safety inspection of the vehicle, insurance that will cover the carrying of paying passengers and a police background check for drivers.

According to the PTB, drivers providing commercial transportation services through these social media apps should understand they are assuming all of the risk related to providing the service.

The issue of illegal ride-hailing, however, is not limited to Richmond. These services are known to be operating across Metro Vancouver and elsewhere in the province.

The PTB is encouraging other municipalities to join with it in collaborative investigations and enforcement to curb this practise.

The manager of one of Richmond’s taxi firms told the Richmond News earlier in January how the illegal ride-hailing services were hurting his business.

Last July, the News revealed, through an undercover reporter, the extent of the unregulated, ride-hailing services being run in Richmond.

We told how Chinese-language ride-sharing company Udi Kuaiche, launched last March, had been providing airport services and car rides in Metro Vancouver.

“Our company aims to serve everyone from the Chinese community and become the next leader in ride sharing,” wrote Udi Kuaiche on its website at the time.

The spokesperson for Udi Kuaiche said last July he was not worried about potential legal problems.

“We are not against the law because there are no regulations for this in B.C. yet,” said Tom Chen, an executive of Udi Kuaiche, at the time. “Once the government is ready and implements a regulation system, we will apply.”

If you have questions or concerns or want to make a report about these services please contact the Passenger Transportation Branch at 604-527-2198 or e-mail at passengertransportationbr@gov.bc.ca. To report suspected business licence infractions to the City of Richmond please call 604-276-4328 or email BusLic@richmond.ca.

With a file from Daisy Xiong/Richmond News