When traffic gets busy, it's not uncommon to see vehicles improperly utilize bus lanes to try and get around it, which is exactly what the police are trying to prevent with their latest project.
In June, members of the Metro Vancouver Transit Police Targeted Mobile Enforcement Team (TMET) were out across various cities to hand out tickets to those caught in the bus lane.
On the final day, police set up shop in both Pitt Meadows and Richmond, where a combined 34 violation tickets for misuse of the bus lane were handed out in a single day.
In total, the four-day project yielded 268 bus lane-related tickets across Delta, Pitt Meadows, Richmond, Surrey, and Vancouver.
There was an additional 66 tickets issued for other driving offences during the project as well, explained TMET Sgt. Steve Newton.
"The results of this 4-day project highlights that public safety on and around the transit system is at the heart of TMET’s various enforcement activities," said Sgt. Newton.
"As an example, 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. In addition to keeping transit vehicles moving, safety is always a goal when we enforce proper use of bus lanes."
The police encouraged drivers to be aware of the rules surrounding bus lanes, which include the fact that not all roads labelled with a diamond shape signify an HOV lane and may just be a bus lane, with information about the specific lane restrictions located to the right of the diamond on all road signs.