Passenger Transportation Data Requirements

This webpage is relevant to licensees who hold either a Passenger Directed Vehicle Authorization (PDVA) or a Transportation Network Services Authorization (TNSA).

Guides and Resources

Your data submission will error if not submitted in the correct format. To ensure the successful upload of your data submission read Trip Data Submissions Guide and Specifications (PDF). In addition licensees submitting large amounts of data through an integration with the Web Service API must read Trip Data API Documentation (PDF).

Sample references below demonstrate what CSV, XML, and XML Schema (XSD) files should look like: 

• JustHeader (CSV)
• JustHeaderShifts (CSV)
• HeaderShiftsTrips (CSV)
• PassengerTrip Sample (XML)
• PassengerTrip (XSD)

How do Licensees submit trip data to the Province?

Trip data can be submitted to the Province using one of two methods. Both methods require enrolment in the Vehicle Safety BC Portal hosted by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI).

Enrol in the Vehicle Safety BC Portal

In order to enrol a company must have the following information

Information Needed	Explanation
A Business BCeID account associated with the company (User ID and password)	To obtain a Business BCeID account visit the BCeID website
The company's Passenger Transportation (PT) Licence number	The PT Licence Number can be found on the company's Conditions of Licence document
The email address associated with the company's PT Licence	This is the email address on file for the company's PT Licence. You must have access to this email to validate the company's account. If there is no email associated with the company's PT Licence, or the email needs to be updated, contact the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program.

Enrol in the Vehicle Safety BC Portal.

How often are Licensees required to submit trip data?

At a minimum, weekly submissions are required. Completed submissions are due within five business days (e.g. data for the week of November 17 - 23 must be submitted by end of day November 29).

A higher frequency of submission is permitted. These guidelines must be followed to accommodate our database

• A file submission cannot include partial days (e.g. a half day, or one and a half days of trips, is not acceptable).
• Submissions cannot span calendar months (e.g. a file submission from July 28 – Aug 3 is not acceptable, but a submission from July 21 – July 27 is acceptable).

Is there a restriction on how large the file size can be?

Yes; the maximum size is 500 MB for a submitted XML file and 100 MB for a submitted CSV file. File size will affect the frequency of submissions. Larger companies will have larger amounts of data to submit and might therefore need to submit data more frequently than smaller companies.

Two Methods for Data Submissions

Method 1: Uploads to the Vehicle Safety BC Portal

After enrolment, Licensees can log into the Vehicle Safety BC Portal and upload trip data as well as review a history and status of past submissions.

Preparing the data file for submission

Trip data should be submitted in XML format. XML is highly recommended because the Licensee can self-validate the XML file with an XML Schema Document (XSD) provided by MOTI.  The Ministry will consider accepting trip data in CSV format from smaller providers.

How it works

The processing of trip data is executed in stages. The upload of the data file goes through a set of preliminary checks to ensure it can be processed correctly. If there are errors, the Licensee is alerted in the portal with an explanation of the issue preventing upload completion. If no initial errors are found the trip data file is accepted for further processing and a unique Submission ID (SID) is provided to the Licensee for reference. The trip data is then further processed in stages and status of the processing is provided through email notifications and can be reviewed in the portal. Read Trip Data Submissions Guide and Specifications for more information.

Method 2: BC Trip Data Web Service (REST API)

The BC Trip Data Web Service is recommended for Licensees submitting large volumes of trip data. Third party dispatch system providers are able to automate submissions through their systems as a feature for their clients. A Licensee may also modify its own system of record to interface directly with the BC Trip Data Web Service for a fully automated submission.

Preparing for submission

In addition to the Trip Data Submissions Guide and Specifications, read the Trip Data API Documentation which describes how to integrate with the Web Service API. A Licensee requests and receives an API token so the calling system can be authorized for access. The request is made by the Licensee (typically a system administrator) who retrieves the key (and other encryption and security information) and stores it securely in their system. The token is then used by the calling system for every Trip Data Submission call to the MOTI Web Service API. The request and retrieval of the API token is fully automated in the Portal.

How it works

Once the Licensee’s system is integrated with the Web Service API, the licensee may begin to submit data. Only XML is accepted through the API. The API returns HTTP response codes to indicate if a submission failed or succeeded; if it has been successfully submitted email notifications are sent to indicate progress through the remaining processing. These notifications are the same as those received during the manual upload submission process.

What specific data are Licensees required to provide?

Below is a summary of the data requirements. Note that some data is only required if a trip is completed.

For each data submission, Identification is needed to distinguish one company from the next (this data is always required).  The following is required to do so Passenger Transportation Number assigned to the company National Safety Code Number assigned to the company Type of Service (either TAXI, TNS, LIMO, ICB, or OTHERPDV)
Licensees also need to submit specifics on the set of trip data provided:
Information on the Classification of each trip (data always required) The starting date of the trip data submission. Typically the earliest shift start date, but can be earlier to indicate no shifts or trips have taken place in that time. The end date of the trip data submission. Similarly, typically the last shift date provided in the data file. All shifts and trips in the trip data file must be within these dates. If there are no shifts or trips provided for a given date in the submission this then the Licensee is indicating that no business was conducted during that time.
Information on each Driver’s shift (data always required) Vendor Shift ID (a unique value for each shift) Vehicle registration number Province/state that the vehicle is registered if Vehicle registration number assigned to the vehicle by the jurisdiction Vehicle Registration Jurisdictional Code (e.g. BC, AB, MB, NL, etc.) Driver’s Licence number Province/state that the driver is licenced in Driver’s licence number assigned to the driver by the jurisdiction Driver Registration Jurisdictional Code (e.g. BC, AB, MB, NL, etc.) Start/login time of the driver’s shift End/login time of the driver’s shift
Information on each Trip (data always required) Vendor trip ID (a unique value for each trip) Trip type code (either ACCES, CNVTL,) Trip status code (either CMPLT, CNCLD, NOSHO, or REFSD) Hail type code (either FLAG, PHONE, IVR, APP, or WEB) Prebooked trip?  (Y or N) Service animal trip?  (Y or N)
Information on how the trip was Initiated (data always required) Date/time trip was requested  For phone/IVR hails: the time from call initiation to call answer (in seconds) Latitude and longitude of the requested pick-up location
Information on Vehicle Assignment Vehicle assignment timestamp Vehicle lat/long position when assigned to trip
Information on Trip Metrics (data only required if a trip is completed) Number of passengers Trip duration in minutes Trip distance in kilometers Total fare of trip (in Canadian dollars)
Information on Pick-Up location (data only required if a trip is completed)  Date/time of vehicle arrival at passenger pick-up location Date/time of vehicle departure from pick-up location Latitude and longitude of pick-up location
Information on Drop-off location (data only required if a trip is completed) Date/time of vehicle arrival at passenger drop-off location Date/time of vehicle departure from drop-off location Latitude and longitude of drop-off location

What determines a trip being assigned to a particular day?

The vehicle assignment date/time is the determining date for all trip data submissions. A trip may be pre-booked several months in advance but the assignment date is what determines what day it should be submitted as.

What if a trip spans over two (or more) days?

The vehicle assignment date/time is the determining date. In the case of a trip being assigned just before midnight on a given day, a trip data submission needs to wait until that (and any other) trips are completed so that all mandatory data for that trip can be provided.

If a trip is canceled before being assigned, should this trip be included?

If a trip is canceled before a vehicle is assigned, the trip does not need to be included in a data submission. It is regarded as a canceled request. This includes trips that are pre-booked weeks or months in advance.

What if I don’t collect data that is indicated as mandatory?

If a Licensee does not collect data in their system that is identified as mandatory in the specifications (such as number of passengers), the Licensee needs to inform the Registrar of the deficit as soon as possible by contacting the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Program.

Trip Fees

TNS licensees are required to pay $0.30 for each trip provided in a non-wheelchair accessible vehicle. Data provided through submissions is used to verify payments.

• Find out how to pay trip fees