Illegal Richmond ride-hail operator convicted for second time since March

An illegal ride-hailing service operator has been convicted for the second time in three months, the Richmond RCMP says.

Police say the operator was convicted under the Motor Vehicle Act on June 9 after a joint operation with the Ministry of Transportation that took place in May 2024.

The driver has been sentenced to a year’s probation, specifying that operating a commercial passenger vehicle without the proper licence will result in criminal charges.

“It’s rare for us to see someone enter traffic court and leave on probation with the jeopardy of a Criminal Code of Canada charge should they re-offend,” said Const. Frank Tarape.

“With the seriousness of this conviction, we hope we don’t see this driver operating illegally on the road again.”

The same operator had received three convictions — operating without a licence, holding the wrong class driver’s licence, and failing to display a certificate — on March 26, 2025. This was part of a crackdown that resulted in 35 illegal ride-hail operators being issued fines totalling almost $80,000.

The operator also faced similar charges in 2020.

Tarape says people looking to use a ride-hail service should make sure to only use those that are approved to operate within B.C.