Taxi and limousine operators will pay less to keep their vehicles on the road as part of the Province’s ongoing work to support the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 22, 2020, the annual licence renewal fee was reduced for commercial operators who hold a Passenger Directed Vehicle Authorization, which includes taxi and limousine operators. In the past, these licensees paid an annual fee of $100 per vehicle with no overall fee cap. It has been reduced to $50 per vehicle with a licence fee cap of $5,000.

Additional temporary measures to support the passenger transportation industry during the COVID-19 pandemic have also been introduced, including:

• waiving plate fees for all operators during COVID-19
• allowing eligible licensees to defer their passenger transportation renewal fee for up to six months
• allowing insurance payments to be temporarily suspended for fleet and non-fleet customers

In addition to these measures, over the past two years government has worked to support fairness for drivers through a package of initiatives including:

• implementing a more flexible, distance-based insurance product that ICBC now offers for the taxi industry, similar to what is available for ride-hailing. This product became available on May 1, 2020.
• continuing work on how the per-trip fee for ride-hail trips can support accessible vehicles in the taxi industry.
• requiring both ride-hail and taxi drivers to have a Class 4 licence and undergo the same criminal record checks.
• in 2018, the ministry allowed taxi licensees to increase their fleet size by 15% in advance of ride-hailing becoming legal in the province.

The Passenger Transportation Branch has issued best practices for the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry during COVID-19 and supports the development of COVID-19 safety plans with the help of WorkSafeBC.

For more information, visit this website.