Bill 170 explained in plain English
Protecting Passenger Safety Act, 2019
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd 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
The Protecting Passenger Safety Act, 2019, increases penalties for operating a vehicle for hire without authorization and introduces licence suspensions and vehicle impoundments for repeat offenders.
Bill 170, also known as the Protecting Passenger Safety Act, 2019, amends the Highway Traffic Act to increase penalties for operating a vehicle to transport passengers for compensation without the required licence, permit, or authorization. The bill introduces new penalties, including driver's licence suspensions and vehicle impoundments, for repeat offenders. It also clarifies the process for these suspensions and impoundments, including costs and release procedures. The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Increases the minimum and maximum fines for individuals convicted of transporting passengers for compensation without a licence, permit, or authorization under section 39.1 of the Highway Traffic Act.
- Introduces a new administrative penalty of three demerit points for individuals convicted of this offence, if a demerit point system regulation is in place.
- Introduces a new administrative process allowing police officers to suspend a driver's licence for 30 days and impound the vehicle for 30 days if they believe the driver has committed this offence and has a previous conviction within the last five years.
- Outlines the procedures for driver's licence surrender, vehicle detention, and impoundment, including the responsibilities of officers and the impound facility operator.
- Specifies that the costs of vehicle removal and impoundment are the responsibility of the owner and must be paid before the vehicle is released.
- Allows the owner of an impounded vehicle to sue the driver to recover any costs or losses incurred.
- States that there is no appeal or right to be heard before a vehicle detention, driver's licence suspension, or vehicle impoundment under these new provisions.
- Amends several other sections of the Highway Traffic Act to reference the new section 39.2 concerning vehicle detention and licence suspension.
- Individuals operating vehicles to transport passengers for compensation without the required licence, permit, or authorization.
- Drivers convicted of operating a vehicle for hire without authorization, especially repeat offenders.
- Owners of vehicles that are impounded under the new provisions.
- Police officers and officers appointed for carrying out the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act, who will be responsible for enforcing the new provisions.
- The Registrar of Motor Vehicles, who will record demerit points.
- Operators of impound facilities.
- Drivers must surrender their licence immediately when requested by an officer under the new provisions.
- Drivers' licences will be suspended for 30 days upon request.
- Vehicles used in contravention will be detained and impounded for 30 days at the owner's cost and risk.
- Vehicle owners have the right to recover losses from the driver.
- Vehicle owners can request to access personal property left in an impounded vehicle.
- Officers have the duty to provide notices of licence suspension and vehicle impoundment.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Increased fines for individuals convicted of operating a vehicle for hire without authorization, ranging from $500 to $30,000.
- Costs associated with vehicle removal and impoundment will be borne by the vehicle owner.
- Potential for owners to recover losses from drivers through civil action.
- Conviction for operating a vehicle for hire without authorization: fine of not less than $500 and not more than $30,000.
- Conviction for operating a vehicle for hire without authorization (repeat offense within 5 years): 30-day driver's licence suspension and 30-day vehicle impoundment.
- Conviction for obstructing an officer performing duties under this section: fine of not less than $200 and not more than $5,000, or imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
- The bill does not specify the exact amount of the fines within the stated range of $500 to $30,000.
- The effectiveness of the demerit point system is contingent on the Lieutenant Governor in Council making a regulation for it.
- The bill does not specify who bears the cost of impoundment if the vehicle is determined to have been stolen at the time of the offence.
- The bill does not specify what happens to personal property left in an impounded vehicle if the owner does not claim it.
- The bill does not provide details on how or by whom the demerit points would be administered if implemented.
Amends section 39.1 to increase the fine range for operating a vehicle for hire without proper authorization. Amends section 39.1 by adding a new subsection regarding demerit points for convictions. Adds a new section 39.2 to establish procedures for driver's licence suspension and vehicle impoundment for repeat offenders. Amends sections 41.4, 48.4, 55.1, 55.2, 82.1, and 172 to include references to the new section 39.2.
Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
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.
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