Minors now need a chaperone to ride party buses in BC

Dec 1 2018, 7:03 am

The BC government is making some major changes to protect minors who ride on party buses.

As of December 1, 2018, party bus operators will be required to obtain consent forms from parents or guardians before allowing kids and teenagers to ride.

The consent forms will include pickup and drop-off times, locations, procedures for the excursion, as well as legal and safety requirements of the party buses services.

Any passenger who’s a minor will need to present identification and a signed consent form before boarding the vehicle.

What’s more, is as of April 1, 2018, all party bus operators will be required to provide safety monitors when transporting minors.

That means that for every 15 passengers who are minors, party bus operators will have to provide a chaperone over the age of 25, with a formal background check and training.

The chaperone’s responsibility is to monitor “the conduct of passengers and report unsafe or illegal conduct to the driver,” according to a statement from the BC government.

“Families have been waiting a long time for stricter safety standards that help boost safety,” explains Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “I’m very pleased to see these new requirements start up in time for the holiday season and New Year’s Eve.”

The news comes just one month after the provincial government quadrupled the fines for party buses that failed to meet safety standards.

The stricter rules and increased fines, meant to keep teenagers and minors safer, come two years after the death of a 23-year-old who fell out of a party bus.

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