OVER a seven-day period at the end of May, the Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit issued 138 violation tickets for speed-related infractions including five impoundments for excessive speeding, and one notice of driving prohibition. Considering the reduced number of vehicles travelling along the roadways, these are significant numbers, the RCMP said on Monday.

The Richmond RCMP has been transitioning to the electronic ticketing system which has been adopted in many parts of British Columbia. Electronic or eTicketing has dramatically assisted officers in increased efficiency while at roadside – whether referencing appropriate sections of the Motor Vehicle Act or its regulations to uniform, clear and concise printouts that are virtually impervious to ink smearing due to inclement weather.  Electronic ticketing also allows enhanced convenience to the end user to pay applicable fines online quickly and efficient, sometimes as fast as five minutes after issuance.

“Please remember that speed is a major issue with respect to road safety which is something we all want – our roads to be safer. eTicketing has proven to be a valuable tool for our officers as it allows us a quicker turn around when stopping offenders. This in turn gets motorists back on their way sooner and with less waiting. It also allows faster and easier resolutions for the motorist as eTickets can be paid online as opposed to going into a courthouse or ICBC branch office,” said Cpl. Peter Somerville, NCO Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit. “This is a good thing especially right now during this Covid-19 pandemic.”