With graduation season approaching, the province wants to make sure people are safe and sound when aboard a party bus or limousine.
Minister of Transportation, Claire Trevena, says along with needing signed consent forms from parents or guardians of minors on board, and regular safety inspections, buses also need to have a Safety Monitor on board.
"There's somebody who's a responsible adult, who has first aid training, can administer Naloxone if need's be, and has a clean criminal record, that they are on the bus, with the group, to make sure those levels of safety and really enforced."
Fines for drivers who fail safety inspections, or allow rider to consume consuming alcohol or cannabis, have also been increased, and are now the highest fines in Canada. The fine and can range from $1,500 to $50,000, depending on what Passenger Transportation Amendment Act regulation is broken, and vehicles that fail to display valid inspection stickers has been raised from $81 to $318.
Trevena says they don't want to administer fines, but because this is a safety concern, they will do so if needed. She adds that companies who don't follow the regulations can lose their business licenses, but once again says she'd rather see them operate legally and safely rather than be shut down.
She says the new regulations will make sure that people out celebrating, as well as other road users, can still arrive safely at their destinations.