A driver with a ride-hailing service in Victoria could face criminal charges after he was stopped downtown for an unsafe lane change.
Officers with B.C. Highway Patrol Capital Regional District Integrated Road Safety Unit were conducting an enforcement campaign in the area of Douglas and View streets in Victoria on the evening of Aug. 17.
Working in partnership with CVSE (Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement) and Passenger Transportation Enforcement, officers were focused on regulations for ride-hailing, taxi and limousine vehicles.
One driver of a ride-hailing vehicle was stopped after officers observed an unsafe lane change, police said in a news release dated Aug. 31. After stopping the driver and investigating, officers became suspicious he was impaired by a drug and arrested the man.
“Drivers of ride-hailing vehicles are in a position where they are responsible for ensuring the safety of their passengers,” said Staff Sgt. Adam Tallboy, acting officer in charge of B.C. Highway Patrol’s Vancouver Island division, in the statement. “As such, they are held to a high standard by their customers, employers and law enforcement.”
The driver had his licence suspended for 24 hours and his vehicle was impounded. The man was also charged under the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act and the Passenger Transportation Act and could face Criminal Code charges.
As the provincial summer impaired driving campaign comes to a close, B.C. Highway Patrol reminded all drivers that its officers, along with other members of law enforcement, would still be on the lookout for unsafe driving behaviours into the fall season and beyond.
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