Metro Vancouver Transit Police hand out 268 tickets for driving in bus lanes during crackdown

A Metro Vancouver Transit Police officer writes a ticket for driving in a bus lane on June 25, 2024.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police say they handed out 334 tickets to drivers across the region during a four-day crackdown on misuse of bus lanes.

While 268 of the tickets were for violating bus lane rules, 66 were for other offences, such as distracted driving, driving without a licence and speeding. Two impaired drivers were also taken off the road.

The force says the project came in response to complaints from the public and bus drivers that vehicles were using bus-only lanes to get past traffic.

The enforcement took place on four non-consecutive weekdays over a period of two weeks in Vancouver, Surrey, Delta, Richmond and Pitt Meadows.

On the first day, in Surrey and Delta, police handed out 89 tickets. Day two and three were dedicated to Vancouver and 211 tickets were issued. In Richmond and Pitt Meadows on the fourth day police gave out 34 tickets. Police did not provide a breakdown of how many of the tickets in each city were for bus lane misuse versus other offences.

“We took two impaired drivers off the road during the peak commuting times on a Thursday. Their removal not only makes other drivers on the road safer, but it keeps people making their way to and from transit and waiting at bus stops safer,” said Sgt. Steve Newton in a Thursday news release. “In addition to keeping transit vehicles moving, safety is always a goal when we enforce proper use of bus lanes.”

A ticket for driving in the bus lane is $109, but it does not come with points on a driver’s license.

A diamond symbol on the road or a sign indicates a reserved lane, which is sometimes an HOV lane, but could be a bus lane. Overhead signs indicate which vehicles are allowed in the lane and when.

Unauthorized drivers may use the lane to make turns, provided they do not enter the lane until halfway into a block – and do not proceed straight through an intersection.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Miljure