Vancouver police officers will be some of the first in the province to put down their pens and take on a new way of issuing tickets.
On Monday the province announced a new pilot project that will see police officers with five departments across B.C. issue roadside electronic traffic violation tickets. The technology allows officers to scan drivers’ licence information into a new online ticket template that auto-populates offence details, saving time and ensuring accuracy. The vehicle-mounted equipment is able to then quickly share the information with justice-sector partners, like ICBC, which eliminates the need for departments to mail tickets and for the information to be re-entered into another system.
Delta Police Department was the first to roll out the new technology on Monday. Vancouver will follow suit starting April 2. Other departments taking part in the pilot project, which runs until mid-May, include Prince George, North District RCMP and the Capital Regional District Integrated Road Safety Unit.
“We are happy to participate in this project and we are hopeful it will help to reduce lag time in the overall administrative process of submitting a paper ticket as well as freeing up time for our front line officers,” Sgt. Jason Robillard said in an email.
The electronic tickets will contain all the same information, and carry the same penalties, of traditional written tickets. However, ticket recipients will have the option to pay the electronic tickets through a new online payment system, PayBC, or continue to use traditional payment methods such as in person at ServiceBC or ICBC locations, by phone or mail.
“Safety on our roadways continues to be a priority for us and we are optimistic that this pilot project will be a success,” Robillard said.
Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said the project will increase safety on B.C. roads.
“If we can make it harder for bad drivers to avoid the consequences for their decisions, and we can identify more quickly those drivers who perhaps shouldn’t be on the road, that will help us to prevent crashes, save lives and keep auto insurance affordable,” he said in a press release. “Based on the program’s design and success in other jurisdictions, we’re optimistic that we’ll see these results during the pilot.”
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