British Columbia
British Columbia (short: BC) is the Westernmost province of Canada, between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
The capital city is Victoria situated on Vancouver Island, while Vancouver is the largest city and the third metropole of Canada, but is on the mainland, not the island.
The legality of hitchhiking is described in BC's Motor Vehicle Act. According to section 182 (3), "A person must not be on a roadway to solicit a ride, employment or business from an occupant of a vehicle." However, the Act defines roadways to mean "the portion of the highway that is improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic, but does not include the shoulder, and if a highway includes 2 or more separate roadways, the term "roadway" refers to any one roadway separately and not to all of them collectively (...)", albeit there are a number of highways which entirely bar pedestrian use (see external links). While this indicates that hitchhiking should be legal when standing on the shoulder of a highway, law enforcement may not be aware of the details of this legislation.
In practice however, hitchhiking is very popular and very easy in most parts of BC. Other than where signposts expressly prohibit it, and around Vancouver, hitchhiking is perfectly fine, and you will not have any problem from the police.
It is illegal to pick up Hitch hikers is a common sign on highways in BC.. But everyone being relaxed in this province, they most certainly do pick up.
Bella and a friend were hitch hiking a little bit of Vancouver island and from Vancouver to Alberta and didn't have a problem. Police roll on by without uttering a word as it is legal.
Contents
Cities
Regions
Towns
Border Crossing to the United States
Crossing to Montana
Crossing to Idaho
Crossing to Washington
External links
- [http://www.legaltree.ca/node/671 Legaltree: Is hitchhiking legal in BC?}
Provinces: British Columbia • Alberta • Saskatchewan • Manitoba • Ontario • Quebec • New Brunswick • Nova Scotia • Prince Edward Island • Newfoundland and Labrador
Territories: Yukon • Northwest Territories • Nunavut