By Lindsey Cole
The Oshawa Express
A bylaw that prevents designated driving services from giving a ride to those under the influence of alcohol completely defeats the purpose of the entire business, say owners of several driving services.
And now, after several discussions at various committee and council meetings and after a packed public meeting in January, council has agreed.
Recently, council decided to throw out the designated driving bylaw in a unanimous vote.
Initially, the bylaw came into effect May 1 and stipulated that any designated driving service in Oshawa must pay a $125 City licensing fee, be insured for $2 million in commercial liability insurance and require each employee have an criminal background check and a valid ‘G’ licence. This was an addition to an already existing bylaw that was formed in September 2008.
However, the main area of concern for most service providers revolved around a new stipulation where owners of the vehicle couldn’t ride in either their own car or the ‘chase vehicle.’
The report reads, “The bylaw prohibits the vehicle’s owner and passengers from being transported in the owner’s vehicle or service providers chase vehicle.”
This was in the hope of preventing the designated driving service provider from acting as a taxi service, the report adds.
After much debate the bylaw was suspended last summer. Now it is being thrown out completely.
And during a recent Finance and Administration Committee meeting, several councillors listened as service providers talked about how the bylaw essentially made no sense.
Glen Willchuk, on behalf of Keys To Us Ltd., DD4U and Home Safe, told members these services represent more than 70 per cent of the market place.
He says the section pertaining to the issue of carrying passengers is muddled and defeats the whole purpose.
“Who then would want to use our service if they (the city) wants (customers) to pay for a taxi? It’s not their (the city’s) vehicle, it is theirs (the customer’s),” Willchuk says.
“People can take comfort and convenience travelling with their car.”
During the meeting, staff recommended the bylaw be received for information and that the original bylaw be retained and enforced.
For Councillor Louise Parkes it was time to listen to the industry, she says.
“I think we have to respect this industry,” says Parkes.
Mayor John Gray says the easiest and most logical way would be to repeal the bylaw completely.
Committee and council agreed.
“I don’t see this as a shuttle service...I see this as driver replacement. I should have a right to ask someone to drive me home. There shouldn’t be a regulation,” says Councillor Brian Nicholson.
The original bylaw was created after the city was approached in 2008 to consider implementing regulations and licensing to better manage the industry, a staff report states. Therefore standards and licensing fees were established.
This went beyond the original staff recommendation, which wasn’t to implement a bylaw at all as the industry was difficult to regulate because services operate all over the region and bylaw enforcement officers don’t work all hours of the night.
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