ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT


                                                     Date: November 1, 1995
                                                        Dept. File No. V-7h

   TO:       Vancouver City Council

   FROM:     Director of Legal Services

   SUBJECT:  Vehicles for Hire By-law


   RECOMMENDATION

        THAT the Director of  Legal Services bring forward an  amendment to
        the  Vehicles for Hire  By-law to make  it an offence  to operate a
        vehicle for hire where  the license pertaining to that  vehicle has
        been suspended pursuant to the By-law.


   CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

        The City Manager RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.


   COUNCIL POLICY

        There is no applicable Council policy.


   PURPOSE

   A deficiency in the Vehicles for  Hire By-law has recently come to light
   as a  result of  discussions with  the Commercial  Vehicle  Unit of  the
   Vancouver Police Department.

   Section  8(1) provides for the suspension  of a vehicle for hire license
   where the  vehicle fails  to pass a  safety inspection  under the  Motor
   Vehicle Act.   There is however no corresponding provision in the By-law
   to  make  it an  offence to  operate the  vehicle  while the  license is
   suspended, although it is an offence  to drive without first obtaining a
   license.  Because of  this ambiguous application, the Police  Department
   and the By-laws Prosecutor have requested an amendment to the  By-law to
   make it an offence to operate a Vehicle for Hire without holding a valid
   and subsisting license, i.e. during the period the license is suspended.

   Should this recommendation be approved, a By-law will be presented later
   this day for enactment.


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