Can Chinese driver’s licences be used in BC? ICBC, Richmond RCMP disagree
Posted April 10, 2014 7:39 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS1130) – Should people be legally able to drive in BC using Chinese licences? ICBC and the Richmond RCMP have very different opinions.
The insurance corporation says a licence issued by China is okay for a driver in BC for a visiting tourist up to six months. If someone has residency, ICBC says the licence is acceptable for 90 days.
But Mounties in that city say because they don’t have access to Chinese licence information, they aren’t able to determine that the information on a licence is correct. They’ve been giving out $276 tickets.
This is not only an issue for drivers with Chinese licences; drivers with licenses from countries including India and Indonesia are also affected.
RCMP say drivers with foreign licences also need an International Driving Permit from a place that is part of a UN agreement, which allows countries to give out licences that are valid in all the other nations that have signed on.
Vancouver Police have still a different perspective; they say the licences are okay as long as a driver also has a translation document from ICBC.
ICBC and the RCMP met earlier this week and are trying to come up with a solution.
