Bill 189 explained in plain English
Roadside Assistance Protection Act, 2014
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Roadside Assistance Protection Act, 2014 amends Ontario legislation to better protect consumers using tow and storage services and to regulate commercial motor vehicles and tow trucks, introducing new rules and administrative penalties.
This Act, titled the Roadside Assistance Protection Act, 2014, aims to enhance consumer protection and regulate tow and storage services and commercial vehicle operations. It amends several Ontario laws, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, the Repair and Storage Liens Act, and the Highway Traffic Act. Key changes include establishing rules for tow and storage services provided to consumers, introducing consumer rights for these services, and updating regulations for commercial motor vehicles and tow trucks. The Highway Traffic Act is also amended to include administrative penalties for violations and to modify regulations concerning commercial vehicle identification, operator certificates (CVOR), and driver responsibilities. The bill received Royal Assent.
- Amends the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 to introduce new rules for tow and storage services provided to consumers, including disclosure of information, requirements for authorization, limits on charges exceeding estimates, itemized invoices, insurance requirements, publication of rates, a consumer bill of rights, rights to remove personal property from towed vehicles, and qualifications for service providers.
- Amends the Repair and Storage Liens Act to align its provisions with the changes made to the Consumer Protection Act regarding tow and storage services.
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act to regulate commercial motor vehicles and tow trucks, including definitions, requirements for documentation, powers for the Registrar to suspend or cancel CVOR certificates, and prohibitions for tow truck drivers.
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act to introduce administrative penalties for contraventions of the Act and its regulations, with a maximum penalty of $20,000.
- Grants powers to inspectors to ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, including entry, inspection, and information gathering.
- Allows the Director to establish policies for the interpretation, administration, and enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002.
- Introduces new definitions and modifies existing ones related to commercial motor vehicles and their operation within the Highway Traffic Act.
- Empowers the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations regarding various aspects of tow and storage services and commercial motor vehicles.
- Establishes a framework for the imposition, appeal, and enforcement of administrative penalties under the Highway Traffic Act.
- Consumers who use tow and storage services.
- Providers of tow and storage services (operators, brokers, drivers).
- Owners, operators, and drivers of commercial motor vehicles.
- The Ministry of Transportation (and potentially other ministries).
- The Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
- Inspectors appointed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002.
- The Director (as defined in the Consumer Protection Act, 2002).
- Individuals and companies involved in commercial vehicle operations.
- Enforcement officers and law enforcement personnel.
- Anyone subject to administrative penalties under the Highway Traffic Act.
- Licensees of CVOR certificates.
- Tow and storage providers must disclose prescribed information to consumers.
- Consumers must authorize tow and storage services, with exceptions and requirements for estimated amounts.
- Tow and storage providers must provide itemized invoices.
- Tow and storage providers must maintain specified insurance coverage.
- Tow and storage providers must make their rates publicly available.
- Tow and storage providers must disclose any interest they have in towing or storage locations.
- Consumers have the right to remove personal property from towed vehicles.
- Tow and storage providers must accept various payment methods.
- Commercial motor vehicle drivers must carry specific documents.
- Commercial motor vehicle operators may be required to install data recording devices.
- The Registrar can order immediate suspension or cancellation of CVOR certificates under certain conditions.
- Administrative penalties may be imposed for contraventions of the Highway Traffic Act and regulations.
- The Act received Royal Assent on the day it was enacted (date not specified in provided text).
- Subject to specific provisions, the Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Schedules to the Act come into force as provided in each Schedule.
- Some provisions come into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- The introduction of administrative penalties under the Highway Traffic Act, which can be up to $20,000.
- Requirements for tow and storage providers to maintain insurance coverage, which may impact their operating costs.
- Potential costs for owners/operators of commercial motor vehicles to install required data recording devices.
- Costs associated with compliance with new disclosure, invoicing, and record-keeping requirements for tow and storage providers.
- The Consumer Protection Act, 2002, as amended, makes non-compliance with its tow and storage provisions an unfair practice, subject to rights and remedies under section 18.
- The Highway Traffic Act introduces administrative penalties for contraventions, which can be imposed by a prescribed authorized person and may not exceed $20,000.
- Failure to pay an administrative penalty can result in the order being filed with the Superior Court of Justice for enforcement as a court order.
- The Registrar of Motor Vehicles has the power to order immediate suspension or cancellation of CVOR certificates.
- Fines of up to $1,000 may be imposed for certain contraventions of the Highway Traffic Act related to commercial motor vehicles.
- Provisions for inspectors to conduct inspections and gather information to ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2002.
- Many provisions are subject to regulations that are to be prescribed, meaning specific details and requirements are not yet fully defined in the Act itself.
- The exact date of commencement for specific schedules and provisions is not always specified, relying on proclamation.
- The maximum amount for administrative penalties can be less than $20,000 if prescribed by regulation.
- The definition of 'tow and storage provider', 'tow truck', and 'tow and storage services operator' are to be provided in regulations.
- Exemptions from certain provisions may be prescribed by regulation.
- The maximum penalty for administrative penalties can be lower for specific provisions as prescribed.
Introduces a new Part VI.1 to regulate tow and storage services provided to consumers, establishing rules for disclosure, authorization, charges, invoices, insurance, rates, consumer rights, access to personal property in vehicles, and qualifications of providers. It also adds provisions for inspectors and their powers, and allows the Director to set policies.
Source: Schedule 1
Updates provisions related to liens for tow and storage services to align with the amendments made to the Consumer Protection Act, 2002.
Source: Schedule 2
Modifies definitions and introduces new provisions concerning commercial motor vehicles, including requirements for documentation, the ability to define 'commercial motor vehicle' by regulation, new rules for CVOR certificate issuance and suspension, and the introduction of administrative penalties for violations. It also adds regulations for tow truck drivers and the use of data recording devices in commercial vehicles.
Source: Schedule 3
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced