In an effort to increase safety for youth, the B.C. government is ramping up fines for party buses and other commercial vehicles that fail to meet safety requirements.

Today (October 26), the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced that it is immediately increasing fines for party buses and commercial vehicles that do not display valid decals that confirm they have passed safety inspections.

Fines will increase from $81 to $318—to become the highest amount in Western Canada.  

“For a long time, the party bus industry has been ignored, leaving glaring gaps in safety,” B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena stated in a news release.

In addition, the ministry will work together with the Passenger Transportation Board and the transportation industry to implement new safety measures by early 2019.

The measures will include:

• having a safety monitor or chaperones if a minor is on board a party bus;
• requiring minors to have a signed consent form from a parent or guardian;
• having new licensees of party buses submit a passenger safety plan to show they are capable of providing a safe service;
• installing cameras in party buses, similar to the taxi camera program;
• requiring party bus operators to install an emergency-alert system in vehicles with separate passenger compartments.

Several safety-related incidents involving party buses have occurred in Vancouver.

On January 9, 2016, 23-year-old Chelsea James of Langley died after she fell out of the party bus she was riding as it turned off West Hastings on to Burrard Street. 

On November 18, 2017, a party bus caught fire on Granville Street. However, no one was injured.