Richmond RCMP celebrated an HOV lane enforcement blitz earlier this week, but the X post, which ignited a strong reaction regarding road enforcement in BC, has since been deleted.
According to the now-deleted post, 18 charges were laid during a two-hour operation near Russ Baker Way. The HOV lane in that area requires at least three people in a vehicle, with no exception for EV decals.
“Violators were pulled over and served their charges on the shoulder so that the HOV was free for proper users,” the X post said.
You can still see the remnants of the X post in this Reddit thread, which was filled with reactions to the enforcement blitz.
Most people have been wondering why this kind of HOV lane enforcement doesn’t happen routinely and consistently as opposed to a random two-hour blitz on a random day.
The fully deleted post read, “You called, we answered. Eighteen charges laid during a two-hour HOV lane operation. This spot on Russ Baker Way requires three persons, no EV decal exception. Violators were pulled over and served their charges on the shoulder so that the HOV was free for proper users.”
This is how one Reddit user interpreted the Richmond RCMP post:
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byu/cyclinginvancouver from discussion
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Others argued that constant enforcement would be unreasonable but other options exist.
“The thing is, it’s unreasonable to expect them to patrol every HOV lane, bus lane, and red light across the lower mainland. What we really need is automated enforcement for these things, like tons of other cities do.”
Others echoed that idea.
“This is one of the reasons why automated enforcement is far more useful than relying on cops to enforce traffic laws. Put a few cameras up, and automate enforcement of speed, red lights, blocking intersections, bus-only lanes, and potentially even misuse of the ‘high occupancy’ lanes.”
Some also applauded the work of the Richmond RCMP.
One Redditor said, “Great job. Now, do it more often!”
Others have expressed concerns that general road enforcement seems to be rare around the Lower Mainland, such as in the Lions Gate Bridge bus lane or parts of Burnaby.
“Come do this in Burnaby on Willingdon. Needs EV decal or six passengers. You’ll catch like 1,000 people.”
We also spoke to Surrey RCMP earlier this year about concerns regarding the lack of enforcement around pedestrian safety.
Surrey RCMP told Daily Hive, “Surrey RCMP takes traffic enforcement around pedestrian safety seriously. Traffic enforcement is the responsibility of all police officers when they are on shift, whether they observe a traffic infraction, respond to a call for service, or conduct pro-active enforcement, holding drivers accountable is a priority.”
We’ve contacted Richmond RCMP to ask why they took down the X post. You can read more about the rules about HOV lanes here.
Do you agree with the outcry and the idea that there is a general lack of road enforcement around the Lower Mainland? Tell us your feelings in the comments or email [email protected] if you have a story to share.