Definitions

1. In these Rates Rules, the following definitions apply: 

“Act” means the Passenger Transportation Act;

“adherence date” means the last day by which a licensee must make a change to remain in compliance with their licence, 30 calendar days from the effective date;

“agreement” means an arrangement between a customer and a licensee for the provision of a limousine service to a passenger or group of passengers at set rates;

“app” means a software application that may be used by passengers to book or hail a trip;

“application” means a written request to the Board to approve or amend a special authorization;

“centralized dispatch” means a dispatch service for which the contact information is the same for multiple participating licensees and the licensee dispatched is not at the discretion of the passenger;

“common rate” means a common rate as described in Rules 8 to 15;

“customer” means the person who, on behalf of a passenger or group of passengers, enters an agreement with the licensee for the provision of service to a passenger or group of passengers;

“destination area” means the the area in which a licensee is authorized to drop-off passengers, as defined in the terms and conditions of licence;

“distance rate” means the charge added by a taxi meter to the trip fare for each kilometer of distance travelled by a taxi.

“effective date” means the earliest date on which a licensee is authorized to make a change;

“fare” means the total compensation and taxes charged for a trip, including surge pricing for TNS, but excluding any gratuities;

“flag rate” means the initial, fixed charge added by a taxi meter as soon as the meter is started at the beginning of a taxi trip.

“flat rate” means a rate charged on a per-trip or point-to-point basis;

“GST” means the [5%] federal Goods and Services Tax;

“industry” refers to the passenger transportation industry within the Board’s jurisdiction;

“limousine” means a sector under the class of PDV licences that authorizes the licensee to provide luxury transportation to passengers when booked in advance that is charged only based on time and does not include service limitations respecting passengers.

“operating area” means the originating and destination areas that a licensee is authorized to operate within; 

“originating area” means the area in which a licensee is authorized to pick-up passengers, as defined in the terms and conditions of licence; 

“other PDV” means a sector under the class of PDV licences that is not a taxi or limousine and may include a service limitation;  

“passenger transportation regions” means the regions described in Schedule 1 to these Rates Rules; 

“PDV” means a passenger directed vehicle;

“PDVA” means a passenger directed vehicle authorization; 

“per-trip” means the total for complete trip from pick-up to drop-off;

“point-to-point rate” means a rate fixed in advance and charged for transportation between two points;

“public transportation” means passenger transportation services run by governments which are outside the scope of the Act, including public buses operated by or on behalf of British Columbia Transit or the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, TransLink, and HandyDART, a subset of which may also be called “public transit”;

“rate band” means a rate band as described in Rule 3;

“ride-hailing” means transportation network services offered under a TNSA;

“Sea-to-Sky Highway” means the section of Highway 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton;

“sector” means a classification of special authorization determined by the Board based on service, vehicle, or other characteristics, including: PDVA: Taxi, PDVA: Limo, PDVA: Other PDV, TNSA, and ICBA;

“service limitation” means a term and condition of licence requested by a licensee and attached to a specific service on a licence that defines and restricts the passengers that may use the service (e.g., work crews, tourists who reside outside British Columbia, seniors, English-as-Second Language students, medical transportation);

“stand-by rates” mean rates that apply to non-driving time when a limousine and driver are waiting to provide transportation when needed by the passenger;

“standardized rate” means a standardized rate as described in Rule 4;

“submitter” means a person, other than the applicant, permitted by the Board, pursuant to section 27(2) and (4) of the Act, to make submissions on an application;

“systemic decisions” refers to decisions that the Board may make to regulate the industry, and can be applicable to the whole industry, certain sector types, or otherwise;

“taxi” means a sector under the class of PDV licences that authorizes the licensee to provide transportation to passengers that hail them through a street hail, taxi stand, dispatch service, or an app within their approved originating area, using an approved fleet of vehicles that are authorized by the Board to be equipped with a top light, and may include a taxi meter.

“taxi licensee” means a licensee who holds a licence that authorizes the licensee to operate a taxi;

“taxi analogue meter” means a taxi meter that is mechanical and that functions independently from a dispatch system and lacks electronic capabilities;

“taxi meter” means any device that calculates taxi fares based on distance rates or time rates, or both;

“taxi smart meter” means a taxi meter that is digital-electronic and that has programmable options and can connect with dispatch and other technologies via technologies such as Bluetooth or USB;

“taxi soft meter” means: (a) any device used as a taxi meter that calculates distance travelled based on Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and/or onboard diagnostics (OBD), or (b) any smartphone or tablet (or a similar mobile device such as an Android or Apple iOS product) that is loaded with application software to be used as a taxi meter;

"TCI” means the taxi cost index as described in Rule 6;

“TCLI” means the taxi and limousine cost index as described in Rule 7;

“time rate” means the charge per unit of time added by a taxi meter to the trip fare when a taxi is stopped or travelling below a specified speed during a trip, such as during construction or heavy traffic.“TNS” means transportation network services;

“TNSA” means a transportation network services authorization;

“TNS licensee” means a person who holds a valid licence with a TNSA;

“traditional taxi meter” means either a taxi analogue meter or a taxi smart meter, which are hardware-based;

“TNS operating region” means the originating area set out in the terms and conditions of a licence and which is applicable to a TNSA;

“WAV” means an accessible passenger directed vehicle;

“yearly cruise ship season” means the yearly cruise ship season as posted on the Board website;

“YVR” means the international, domestic and south terminals of the Airport, together with all Canada Line stations located on Sea Island. For certainty, it does not include other businesses and organizations on Sea Island in the Municipality of Richmond;

“5 km trip fare” means a total fare that includes only the flag rate and the distance rate for 5km of travel and is not inclusive of any time rate or other charges.

Application

2. These rules apply to all licensees holding a PDVA, TNSA, or ICBA unless the Board orders otherwise.