Bill 53 explained in plain English
Protecting Passenger Safety Act, 2015
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st 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
This bill increases penalties for transporting passengers for compensation without proper authorization by amending the Highway Traffic Act.
This bill, called the Protecting Passenger Safety Act, 2015, amends the Highway Traffic Act. It aims to increase penalties for transporting passengers for compensation without the necessary licence, permit, or authorization. The Act introduces demerit points, licence suspensions, and vehicle impoundments for those convicted of this offense, particularly for repeat offenders.
- Increases the fine range for unlawfully transporting passengers for compensation to a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $30,000.
- Adds three demerit points to a driver's record upon conviction for unlawfully transporting passengers for compensation.
- Mandates a 30-day driver's licence suspension for individuals convicted of unlawfully transporting passengers for compensation, especially if they have prior convictions within five years.
- Authorizes police to impound the vehicle used in the offense for 30 days.
- Allows for the early release of an impounded vehicle if it was stolen at the time of the offense.
- States that there is no right to an appeal or hearing before a vehicle detention, driver's licence suspension, or vehicle impoundment occurs under these provisions.
- Establishes that storage costs for impounded vehicles are a lien on the vehicle and must be paid before release.
- Permits the owner of an impounded vehicle to sue the driver to recover incurred costs and losses.
- Creates offenses for obstructing officers carrying out duties related to licence suspension and vehicle impoundment, with penalties including fines and potential imprisonment.
- Clarifies that licence suspensions and vehicle impoundments are intended to ensure compliance and protect the public, not to replace other penalties.
- Ensures that impoundments under this Act run concurrently with other existing administrative impoundments.
- Allows the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations regarding record-keeping for suspensions and impoundments, and to grant exemptions.
- Individuals who transport passengers for compensation without a licence, permit, or authorization.
- Owners of vehicles used for transporting passengers for compensation without proper authorization.
- Police officers and officers appointed to enforce the Highway Traffic Act.
- The Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
- The public, who may be passengers or other road users.
- Operators of impound facilities.
- Drivers must surrender their licence when requested by an officer under specific circumstances.
- Vehicles used in unlawful passenger transport may be detained and impounded.
- Owners are responsible for storage and removal costs of impounded vehicles.
- Officers have a duty to record and report licence suspensions and vehicle impoundments.
- Owners of impounded vehicles can recover losses from the driver.
- There is no right to an appeal or hearing before licence suspension or vehicle impoundment occurs.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Fines for unlawfully transporting passengers for compensation are increased to a range of $500 to $30,000.
- Costs for vehicle removal and impoundment are borne by the vehicle owner.
- Fines for obstructing officers range from $200 to $5,000.
- Fines ranging from $500 to $30,000 for unlawfully transporting passengers for compensation.
- Three demerit points upon conviction for the offense.
- 30-day driver's licence suspension for repeat offenders.
- 30-day vehicle impoundment.
- Fines of $200 to $5,000 and potential imprisonment for up to six months for obstructing officers.
- The bill does not specify the exact amount of the increased fine, only the minimum and maximum limits.
- The bill does not detail the specific criteria for 'reasonable and probable grounds' that an officer must have to take action.
- The specific details regarding record-keeping and reporting for licence suspensions and vehicle impoundments will be determined by regulations.
- The conditions under which exemptions from certain provisions may be granted are subject to regulations.
Increases penalties, adds demerit points, and introduces licence suspension and vehicle impoundment for transporting passengers for compensation without authorization.
Source: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
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.
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Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
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