BC Transit bus drivers “mistakenly confiscated” a number of OneCards from UVic students on Dec. 8 due to an error message that appeared in the transit card scanners, a UVic spokesperson confirmed.
Paul Marck, UVic’s associate manager of Public Affairs, said that OneCards are typically only confiscated by drivers when found “to be used by a third person or party other than the person to whom the card has been issued.” When bus drivers encounter expired passes, BC Transit policy dictates they are to request that passengers provide another form of payment for the ride.
If a UVic student’s OneCard was confiscated, they can report the incident on the BC Transit website. File photo by Janine Crockett
“We apologize to the passengers for the inconvenience this may have caused,” said Jonathon Dyck, communications manager for BC Transit in an email. “We have followed up with all of our drivers to remind them of the policy.”
Replacement OneCards are usually provided to students at a fee of $20. However, upon verification of the confiscated cards, UVic has stated plans to re-issue them to impacted students at no cost.
“UVic has a really good working relationship with BC Transit over the OneCard program,” Marck said. “We are working with them to resolve any outstanding issues.”
In the event their card is confiscated, students are encouraged to take note of the time, driver, and bus number in order to file an online report on the BC Transit website.
