Agenda Index City of Vancouver

POLICY REPORT
LICENSING

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Chief License Inspector in consultation with the Director of Legal Services

SUBJECT:

Amendment to Vehicles for Hire By-Law No. 6066 Concerning New School Shuttle Van Classification

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

The Vancouver Transportation Plan (1997) supports small community buses offering services around neighbourhoods and as a feeder service to the main TransLink services. The Transportation Plan also identifies the need for a substantial increase in transit services to accommodate the growing demand for trips around the city.

Council, by way of the Vehicles for Hire By-Law, Number 6066, licenses and regulates owners and drivers for hire in the City of Vancouver.

On March 14, 2002, Council approved a new School Shuttle Van Vehicles for Hire classification, along with conditions for the licensing of this service carrier. The number of vehicle licenses for school shuttle van services in the City was restricted to a total of ten (10). By-law #8467 which presents the required amendments to the Vehicles for Hire By-law was approved by Council on May 14, 2002.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to propose an amendment to the Vehicles for Hire By-Law No. 6606 to allow licenses for school shuttle vans to be issued to either the lessee or the registered owner of the vehicles and to establish an annual license fee for school shuttle vans of $118.00.

BACKGROUND

On March 14, 2002, Council approved the licensing of a maximum of ten (10) school shuttle vans in the City of Vancouver. The school shuttle vans will transport children, from preschoolers up to grade 12 exclusively, to and from schools within the City of Vancouver. The motion passed by Council is as follows:

A. THAT Council approve amendments to the Vehicles for Hire By-Law No. 6066 to include a School Shuttle Van as a new Vehicles for Hire classification and to set out conditions for the licensing of such a service carrier as outlined in the report;

B THAT Council instruct the Chief License Inspector to restrict the number of vehicle licenses for school shuttle van services in the City to a total of ten (10);

C. THAT Council authorize the Director of Legal Services to bring forward the relevant by-law amendments.

By-law No. 8467 which presents the required amendments to the Vehicles for Hire By-Law was approved by Council on May 14, 2002.

DISCUSSION

Registered Owner Requirement

Presently, with the exception of driver instruction vehicles, licenses for vehicles for hire can only be issued on the condition that the licensee is the registered owner of the vehicle with respect to the operation of which a license has been applied for, provided, however, any person owning a vehicle licensed as a u-drive, motor stage, funeral cab, school cab, charter bus, charter limousine, school shuttle van or airport transporter may lease, for a period not less than 30 days, other motor vehicles for use in connection with the business.

The purpose of this requirement is to add stability to the passenger transportation industry by ensuring that license holders of vehicles for hire are bonafide companies interested in operating at least one passenger vehicle on a long term basis.

Further to Council's approval of a new school shuttle van classification, the City has received a few inquires from potential school shuttle van operators. One of these operators has indicated an interest in six of the possible ten licenses. However, he wishes to run the business as a franchise wherein each franchisee would lease their school shuttle van for a three year period. At the expiration of the three years, they would obtain a new van under a new three year term lease. Currently, only driver instruction vehicles are permitted to be licensed under such an arrangement.

As school shuttle vans will be run similar to driver instruction vehicles where the licensees need not be the registered owners of the vehicle and may be individual owner-operators or franchisees, staff recommend that the Vehicles for Hire By-Law be amended to allow licenses for school shuttle vans to be issued either to the lessee or the registered owner of the vehicle.

School Shuttle Van License Fee

In the previous staff report concerning school shuttle vans, a separate fee was not established for the new school shuttle van vehicle for hire classification. Therefore, under the license fee schedule in the Vehicles for Hire By-Law, the current annual license fee per school shuttle van vehicle would be $52.00. However, as the new School Shuttle Van classification is similar to the existing Charter Van Vehicle for Hire classification, staff recommend that the license fee for school shuttle van vehicles be equivalent at $118.00.

CONCLUSION

The amendments proposed in this report will allow licenses for school shuttle vans to be issued to either the lessee or the registered owner of the vehicles and to establish an annual license fee for school shuttle vans of $118.00.

APPENDIX A

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

It is proposed that Vehicles for Hire By-law No. 6066 be amended as follows subject to such changes as the Director of Legal Services considers necessary:

1. From section 6(3)(b), delete "school shuttle van".

2. To section 6(3)(b), after "driver instruction vehicle", add "school shuttle van".

3. To Schedule "A", after "School Cab", add "School Shuttle Van, for each vehicle..................$118.00"

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