Every day right now we receive dozens of phone calls and emails saying:
I got a letter saying I need to enroll in the RDP program. I’ve been driving for two months already since my IRP ended. My finances are in a bad state indeed and I simply can’t do this RDP thingy, whatever the hell is it. What are they doing? I have a perfect driving record (aside from the IRP or ADP). Is this some cruel joke?
We know. You may want to blame us for the fact that the letter is coming to you now. The fact is that we are the IRP lawyers who forced the Government to quit automatically forcing everyone to get an interlock and participate in the RDP.
Sure, we saved you a bunch of money. You probably don’t even know it. Odds are better now they’re not making you get an interlock. But they now have you up against the wall because you will lose your license if you don’t take their Responsible Driver’s Program.
We’re no fans of this RDP program. If you want to come for a private meeting one day we’ll tell you all about it. We think it stinks. And right now it looks like you’re gonna have to take it, right?
Well, let us tell you where things stand.
If you read our last blog post you’ll know that after we knocked down the Remedial Program Wall, the OSMV was all aflutter trying to figure out what to do. We had our theories. We were pretty certain that their first consideration was saving the Government from embarrassment. To that end we thought any new program that they implement will be to try and protect the Government in costs and thus embarrassment. We figured that they would drop the words “mandatory” and “automatic” from their secret internal material.
We also figured that they would look for a way to make everyone go through the RDP. This, it seemed to us, could potentially save them millions in the proposed class action suit, particularly if they managed to get away with it.
Now of course, we can’t identify their motives with certainly. We know what we think. We also know that because they never need to disclose the legal advice they receive, we will never know precisely what’s going on.
Remember the Government can refuse to reveal all sorts of information by simply claiming it formed some legal advice or that they had legal advice to not disclose it. So we’ll never know for sure. And we always protect our sources. We won’t reveal our secret sources, even under torture.
Why they started doing what they’re doing remains a Government secret. (Screw you taxpayer!)
However, what they’re doing is not a secret.
The original letter saying you need to enroll in the RDP program
The OSMV is now automatically referring everyone to the RDP program if they have a 90-day IRP or ADP. That’s what they’re doing. The photo above is of their flow chart. It’s no longer a secret. We ferreted it out.
It’s mandatory and automatic which allows the Government to not admit that they were wrong to have made it mandatory and automatic in the past. If you don’t respond, you’re screwed.
Eh, you may be screwed even if you respond.
Reconsideration of referrals to the remedial program
When we saw what was happening, and that it seemed to be playing out as we predicted among ourselves, we made an FOI request to get a copy of the Government’s policy manual for reconsideration of referrals to the remedial program. We won’t bore you with the story of how they tried to obstruct our request. In the end we got it.
What you may not know is that the Government publishes the results of Freedom of Information disclosure requests on their website. What you also may not know is that you need to hunt through hundreds of them to find something good. And what you also may not know is that we’re the ones who always request the good stuff. And we get it. After all, we won’t back down.
So here it is. The official government policy manual on reconsideration of referrals to the remedial program.
It was disclosed because we forced them to disclose it. We encourage everyone interested in what they they do at the OSMV and ICBC to read it. If you’ve got a letter saying I need to enroll in the RDP program, then this is the must-read of the summer, complements of the IRP lawyers at Acumen Law Corporation.
What does it all mean? We’ll gladly tell you in an upcoming blog post. For now we need to update everyone on the Interlock and RDP class action, so that is coming next.
Today what you need to know is that the OSMV is automatically sending everyone who gets and ADP or 90-day IRP to the RDP.
And if you look at the wording in the policy manual, the adjudicators appears to have been told that, regardless of your driving record, (the factor listed in section 25.1 of the Motor Vehicle Act) they’re gonna cancel your license or not give it back unless you complete the RDP.
Oh, and here’s the final kicker – if the RDP people got your number, you’re gonna have to get an interlock! (which we think is completely unlawful but what the hey.)