Higher fines and more rules coming for B.C.’s party bus industry: ministry

VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is boosting fines for party buses that don't meet inspection standards and is considering other measures to make the industry safer, especially for minors.

The Transportation Ministry says in a news release that starting immediately, the fines jump from $81 to $318 for the buses and commercial vehicles that don't display decals saying they passed a safety inspection.

The ministry says it will also engage with the industry and Passenger Transportation Board to have new safety measures in place by 2019.

The proposed measures include having a safety monitor if minors are on the bus, requiring signed consent from a parent for minors, installing cameras and requiring all bus operators to put in an emergency alert system.

Transportation Minister Claire Travena says the party bus industry has been ignored for too long, leaving glaring gaps in safety.

In 2016, a 23-year-old woman was killed when she fell through a door of a party bus that was travelling through Vancouver and was run over.