Driving with Students

Driving with Students as Passengers requires a Class 4 Licence:

Dr. Phyllis Clark, Vice President (Finance & Administration), recently sent a letter to the campus outlining the criteria for needing a class 4 drivers' licence. This requirement arises from Provincial legislation that governs licencing. The University has attempted to get clarification from the government with respect to the situations where we carry passengers on University business and this letter outlines the conditions when a Class 4 licence is believed to be required.

For us in Biological Sciences, this requirement applies to vehicle operators carrying students as passengers if the trip is part of a credit course that the student is registered in (e.g. field trip to collect samples) or if the passenger paid a fee that helps provide the transportation (e.g. a field school with an activity fee). It applies to any vehicle that is used to provide transportation including one that is privately owned.

An alternative to getting a Class 4 licence is to hire a bus to transport the students as their drivers have a Class 4. Many of our courses in the Department of Biological Sciences already do this.

The requirement for a class 4 does not apply to graduate students as passengers when the purpose of the trip is for research.