Mounties tasked with catching HOV lane cheaters on Highway 1 say they’ve seen such a massive increase in violations they’re struggling to keep up.
Officers dished out 386 tickets for HOV infractions in January, more than double the 115 issued in the same month last year. Fines range from $109 to $121.
RCMP Traffic Const. John Stables told CTV News he hears all kinds of excuses from lone drivers occupying the high-occupancy lanes, but some actually own up to their actions as a justifiable time-saver.
Some say if they can save an hour a day travelling in the HOV lane, it’s worth the occasional ticket.
“People do it all the time and they just sit there and say, ‘It’s just a fine, I’ll take the risk,’” Stables said.
To combat the influx of cheaters, the RCMP currently employs six officers a day to target texters, speeders and HOV sneaks.
But the force admits there may be some confusion about when the rules are in effect. On the Surrey-Langley side of the new Port Mann Bridge, HOV rules apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
On the Vancouver-Burnaby side of the bridge, the lanes are open to everyone after 7 p.m., though that will change after construction on the Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement Project wraps up later this year.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s St. John Alexander
