Important definitions for this policy manual include:

“Act” means the Passenger Transportation Act.

“ATA“ means the Administrative Tribunals Act.

“applicant” means a person who has made application to the Registrar for:  

a.   a licence, a transfer of a licence, additional vehicles or an amendment to a licence;
b.  a change of rates; or
c.  a temporary operating permit

who seeks, or has, a special authorization to operate passenger directed vehicles, inter-city buses or transportation network services; 

“application” refers to a written request to the Board to approve or amend a special authorization, which can be made by an existing licensee or an applicant.

“Board” means the Passenger Transportation Board.

“Board staff” includes the Executive Director to the Board, the Director, Policy and Projects, the Director, Operations, and other staff members required to support the Board to perform its functions, and persons contracted on behalf of the Board to provide services to the Board;

“Chair” means the Chair of the Board as designated by the Lieutenant Governor in Council;

“day” means calendar day unless otherwise specified;

“fees” means fees payable to the Board and includes submission fees and appeal fees but does not include application fees;

“FIPPA” means the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

“industry” refers to the passenger transportation industry within the Board’s jurisdiction.

“licence” is a document showing the legal permission granted under the Act to operate a commercial passenger vehicle in British Columbia.

“licensee” means a holder of a valid passenger transportation licence or a person formally designated by the holder of a valid passenger transportation licence to enter agreements on the licensee’s behalf.

“operating area” means the originating and destination areas that a licensee is authorized to operate within. 

“panel” means a member or members, including the Chair, appointed by the Chair to exercise some or all of the powers and duties of the Board;

“passenger directed vehicle authorization (PDVA)" means an authorization that, if included in a licence, authorizes one or more motor vehicles to be operated as passenger directed vehicles, but only if those motor vehicles are hailed other than through the use of transportation network services;

“public transportation” means passenger transportation services run by governments, including public buses, SkyTrain, HandyDart, and others, and may also be called “public transit”.

“ride-hailing” refers to passenger transportation services offered through a platform under a Transportation Network Services Authorization (TNSA).

“RPP” means Board Rules of Practice and Procedure.

“section 7 investigation” refers to a Board investigation commenced under section 7(1)(b)(i) and (i.1)) of the Act. 

“section 27 Board investigation” refers to a Board investigation commenced under section 27(3)(b) of the Act.

“section 27 information request” refers to a request made by the Board to an applicant requiring further information, including written and oral submissions, under section 27(1)(b) of the Act.  

“sector types” refers to different classes of licence determined by the Board based on type of Special Authorization and service, such as (PDVA) Taxis, (PDVA) Limousines or (TNSA) Ride-Hailing.

“special authorization” means any of the following (a) an inter-city bus authorization; (b) a passenger directed vehicle authorization (c) a transportation network services authorization.

“submitter” is a person making a submission to the Board respecting an Application (section 27(4)-(5) of the Act).

“systemic decisions” refers to system-wide decisions that the Board may make to regulate the passenger transportation industry within the Board’s jurisdiction, and can be applicable to the whole industry, certain Sector Types, or otherwise.

“transportation network services authorization (TNSA)” means an authorization that, if included in a licence,

a.  authorizes the licensee to provide transportation network services, and
b.  authorizes one or more motor vehicles to be operated as passenger directed vehicles, but only if those motor vehicles are hailed through the use of the transportation network services;

“wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV)” is an “accessible passenger directed vehicle” in section 1 of the Act, which means a vehicle designed and manufactured, or converted, to transport persons who use a wheelchair, scooter, or similar device to transport persons with disabilities in a seated position.