HALIFAX: Nova Scotians want more choices when it comes to local transportation, and the province of N.S. is giving them that announcing Sept. 24 that it will be reducing costs and administrative burdens for taxi and ride hailing services.
“Making it easier to do business is an important step toward providing Nova Scotians with more transportation options,” said Lloyd Hines, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. “The changes should help open the sector to healthy competition, reduce unnecessary regulatory burden and ensure our roads continue to be safe by keeping the medical requirement, which strikes a balance between business growth passenger safety.
“This is especially important in our rapidly growing metro areas and in underserviced areas across rural Nova Scotia.”
The department is establishing a modernized, restricted Class 4 licence that no longer requires taxi or potential ride hail drivers to retake the road and knowledge tests. It will also reduce costs to drivers because the retests are no longer necessary. All other requirements for a Class 4, including a medical assessment, will remain.
Exempting drivers from the additional testing will also simplify the licensing process of upgrading from a Class 5 to Class 4 restricted.
The new regulations come into effect immediately.
Quotes:
“Having more convenient, accessible transportation options is a key way to reduce impaired driving. We welcome the news that Nova Scotians will be able to access ridesharing services such as Uber and thank the Government of Nova Scotia for moving forward with this. The more safe ride options available to people, the more likely they are to plan ahead for a sober ride home, and that makes roads and communities safer.”
– MADD Canada chief executive officer Andrew Murie.
Quick Facts:
— Nova Scotia is now one of seven provinces requiring a Class 4 to drive a cab or ride hail service vehicle. PEI, Quebec and now Nova Scotia, are the only provinces that waive the additional knowledge and road tests
— the new regulations eliminate the knowledge and road tests for ride share and taxi drivers, saving them the $68 testing fee
— a standard Class 4 licence, including a knowledge and road test, will continue to be required to drive an ambulance or small buses with 24 or fewer passengers
— Nova Scotia’s municipalities are legislatively responsible for licensing taxis and other ride hailing companies, as well as their drivers, with respect to additional safety standards. These include requiring clean driver records, criminal record checks, child abuse registry checks. Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 9)
