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British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) establishes your right to access records held by public bodies like BC Transit.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request is a formal method to access these records. Some information must be protected under FOIPPA, such as personal privacy or sensitive data. When this applies, we will withhold only what is necessary and release the rest of the record.

How to Submit a Request

A well-defined request helps to locate records faster and may reduce fees. In your request please include:  

  • Contact information
    • To communicate with you and provide records
  • A clear description of the records
    • Less helpful: “Records about the new facility” 
    • More helpful: “Site plans for the new construction project at 1234 Main Street Victoria, BC” 
  • Relevant details such as:
    • Date range (e.g., January 1 – 31, 2025) 
    • Subject matter (e.g., “construction project for fleet maintenance”) 
    • Document type, if known (e.g., report, meeting minutes) 
    • Specific project names, contract numbers, or route numbers 

Please submit your request to:

Email: FOI_Request@bctransit.com 

You may also write to us:

FOI Office 
BC Transit 
520 Gorge Rd East 
Victoria, BC V8W 9T5 

The FOI Process

Once we receive your request, our FOI team will:

  1. Acknowledge: You will receive confirmation within a few business days, including an estimated timeline (typically 30 business days) and any applicable fees.
  2. Verify identity: For personal information requests, we’ll verify your identity before releasing records. Requests made on behalf of others require supporting documentation.
  3. Clarify: We may contact you to narrow or clarify your request.
  4. Search: We’ll identify and retrieve records matching your request.
  5. Review: Records are reviewed for any information that must be withheld under FOIPPA.
  6. Prepare: A response package is compiled, including accessible records and any explanation of withheld information.
  7. Provide access: Records are delivered within the legislated timeline, unless an extension is needed.

CCTV Requests

BC Transit has established sharing channels in place for commonly requested footage. These processes provide access in the most efficient and meaningful way. 

Law Enforcement 

BC Transit has an established process with law enforcement organizations to provide an efficient and effective method of disclosing the relevant footage as part of their investigation. If you have an active law enforcement investigation, a separate request is not necessary. Your investigating officer will be provided footage upon their request. 

ICBC 

BC Transit has an established process with ICBC to share footage for accidents that involve BC Transit fleet. For accidents that do not involve BC Transit, it may be more effective to work with your insurance adjuster to request the footage, with your written consent. 

Lost or Stolen Items

BC Transit has a Lost and Found program and it remains the most effective way to recover your belongings. CCTV footage is often not useful for locating a lost item due to processing time, video quality and heavy redactions. 

When an owner of a stolen item makes a report to law enforcement, the investigating officer can use our established channels to request footage. This provides access more efficiently and to unredacted footage, which is more useful in an investigation. 

Please note, for footage not requested by law enforcement or ICBC, BC Transit is required under FOIPPA to redact identifying details of all other individuals, regardless of their involvement. This includes faces, distinctive clothing, and audio. As a result, footage obtained through a FOI request is often heavily redacted and will very likely not be useful for identification of the item or individuals.

For more information on how BC Transit uses CCTV, please visit our Security Camera page. 

Open Data

BC Transit offers free access to bus schedules, routes, and stop data through our Open Data portal. This information supports independent developers to create online applications that support the use of public transit. For more details, please visit our Open Data page.