TORONTO, Ont. – A bill aimed at improving workplace safety for gas station attendants is being re-introduced in the Ontario legislature.
Eglinton-Lawrence MPP Mike Colle said Tuesday he will be bringing Jayesh’s Law back to the table for consideration after it was stalled in October following Dalton McGuinty’s suspension of the House. Legislators are expected to vote on the bill on Thursday.
The private members’ bill, which is named after Jayesh Prajapati, the 44-year-old gas station attendant killed during a so-called gas and dash at a west-end Shell station in September, would implement safety regulations for workers including fining employers who force workers to pay for thefts out of their own wages.
“There is no way in God’s earth that someone making $10 an hour should have to go to work every day wondering if they’re going to encounter one of these gas thieves and wondering whether their lives are going to be at risk,” Colle said at a news conference.
Jayesh’s Law has gained widespread support among law officials across the GTA.
The police forces in York, Toronto and Hamilton support it, he said.
Colle said that only about half of the gas and dash thefts in the GTA actually get reported. It’s estimated that about 10,000 took place last year, with their occurrences spiking during periods of high gas prices.
“The police will tell you, and have told me emphatically, that this is not a victimless crime. You’re not stealing gas from the oil companies. You’re not hurting them,” said Colle.
“These are serious criminal acts that endanger the safety of gas station operators, the gas station managers and the public who go to the station to get the gas. “
Jayesh’s widow Vaishali also spoke out in support of the bill.
“I believe that Jayesh’s Law would help reduce crime and provide a better and safer work environment for gas station workers and customers,” she said “What I have experienced should not happen to any other family. I lost Jayesh, who was everything to me.”
If passed, Jayesh’s Law would also require gas station employers to provide worker safety training, suspend the driver’s licences of individuals convicted of gas theft and implement pre-payment for gasoline before pumping in major metropolitan areas.
Colle cited that incidents of gas and dash were virtually eliminated in British Columbia after it implemented a pay before pumping policy.
Prajapati was struck and killed on Sept. 15, 2012, while trying to stop a driver from leaving a Shell gas station without paying for nearly $113 in fuel.
Police are still looking for Max Edwin Tutiven, 39, who they believe may have fled to Montreal. He faces second-degree murder in Prajapati’s death.
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Solution: Make everyone pay a specific amount before filling up gas.
Or insert a debit/credit card and charge the full amount of gas filled on the machine (after verification)
As how they do during overnight in many, if not all, gas locations.
That may seem like an inconvenience … but chances are you would have paid using a debit/credit card at the end so no loss.
This will reduce the ability for someone to dash away with free gas (well, except a theft of someone’s card and pin…)
Pass the law, but can we change the name?
Laws should be named after their purpose. Not in remembrance of the poor soul who was a victim of the crime.
Actually, these types of laws are often named for the victim(s). “Amber” alerts are named for a little girl who was abducted for example.
Well if gas prices keep on rising, and we have immigrants working hard, and Canada sells itself and those that say Canada best places to live, now why we do not chant go immigrants go instead of go Canada go! Find those who steal gas!! And kill, why we have so many immigrants working long hours and our youth complaining so much , video games!! And yet you all complain about how violent people are in the rest of the world!! Oscar reality winners, get to the bottom of what’s real!! Maybe it’s in the minimum wage!!
This law should definitely be PASSED!
Why should gas attendants be punished for an act of a criminal.
Add more cameras, enforce pay before pumping!
If someone does decide to steal some GAS why not have the OIL Companies take the hit….Im pretty sure 20 dollars wont make ESSO, PETRO, SHELL or HUSKY go bankrupt….
They’ve been gouging the public for decades!
My two cents!
We should also charge the oil companies a security premium to operate. Sort of like the extra homeland security tax on flights to the US.