Victoria Police and BC Transit are on the lookout for drivers who use dedicated bus lanes to dodge traffic jams.

Since 2014, the curb lane in some sections of Douglas Street has been reserved for buses and bikes during the morning and afternoon rush hours to help keep transit running on schedule.

"What we are trying to do is create a reliable corridor for people who choose to take transit so they can get from home to downtown and back home again," said Manuel Achadinha, CEO of BC Transit.

But some cars have been ignoring the rules and officers are stepping up patrols to catch them, said Del Manak, Victoria's acting police chief.

"I have no problems with conducting enforcement because the signage is very adequate," he said.

Cars are only allowed to be in the bus lanes when drivers are making a right-hand turn within the next block.

Victoria Police will start by issuing warnings this week. After that, drivers who ignore the rules will be slapped with a $109 fine.

Bus lanes expanding

The enforcement campaign comes ahead of construction to expand the bus lanes along Douglas Street.

With up to 88 buses an hour using Douglas Street during peak times, it is one of the busiest transit corridors in Greater Victoria.

The City of Victoria is adding a southbound transit lane from Tolmie Avenue to Hillside Avenue. The province is also paying to install a northbound transit lane from Tolmie Avenue to Saanich Road.

Starting in the spring, all of the transit lanes will also be in effect 24 hours a day, instead of just during the morning or afternoon rush hours, Achadinha said.

Safety questions

The transit lanes along Douglas Street are also open to cyclists. There were questions about safety when they were first installed in 2014.

BC Transit says the lanes are wider than normal to allow buses to pass bikes safely. The arrangement is working well enough for bikes to be allowed in the new bus lanes as well, Achadinha said.

Riding alongside buses is not ideal, but there's not much else that can be done for cyclists without a major overhaul of the road's design, said Edward Pullman with the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition.

"Certainly we think that we need to be having a more fulsome conversation about active transportation along that corridor," he said.

Victoria Police are also satisfied with the level of safety the shared bus and bike lanes provide, Manak said.

"The city is doing the best that they can under the circumstances and the road design that they have, so this is a much safer, better option than what we have had in the past."