A driving school in Guelph, Ont. has had its licence revoked after an undercover auditor paid $200 for a driver’s education certificate despite never completing the required training, according to recently released court documents. The Ministry of Transportation hired an auditor to pose as a prospective student at Peel Driving School in Guelph as part of its oversight of beginner driver education programs. The ministry monitors driving schools that offer approved beginner driver education courses to ensure they meet provincial standards. According to court documents, the undercover agent told the school they wanted a beginner driver education certificate but could not attend the required training. The course normally requires 10 hours of in-car instruction and 30 hours of online training and costs about $700. The owner of Peel Driving School offered to provide the certificate for $200, according to court documents. The payment was deposited into the bank account of Unique Driving School, a Brampton-based school, operated by the wife of Peel Driving School. The undercover agent did not complete the required training. However, a certificate was later submitted to the Ministry of Transportation indicating the student had completed the program. A beginner driver education certificate does not grant a full driver’s licence, but it allows someone with a G1 licence to take their road test sooner and can provide insurance benefits. Days later, the ministry notified both schools that it would conduct compliance audits. The court documents state that the owner of Peel Driving School then contacted the ministry and said the driving certificate had been updated by mistake. The ministry ultimately determined that the owner had deliberately attempted to profit by falsifying a key document. As a result, it revoked the licences of both Peel Driving School and Unique Driving School. However, a recent Ontario Superior Court decision has overturned the revocation of Unique Driving School’s licence and the licence of its owner. The court found that the owner of Unique Driving School “was never asked to or tasked with providing instruction to (the agent).” The court quashed the ministry’s decision against Unique Driving School and its owner, and sent the matter back to the Ministry of Transportation for reconsideration. The ministry was also ordered to pay Unique Driving School and its owner $10,000 in legal costs. The licence of Peel Driving School’s owner remains revoked. CTV News contacted Peel Driving School and its lawyers for comment on the court decision but did not receive a response.
