A BC Transit bus in Langford with a “Call Police” destination sign prompted concern online Sunday, but there was no actual emergency, the transit corporation says.
Just before noon, someone posted to a local Facebook group saying a BC Transit double-decker bus driving past the Walmart in Langford was displaying a “Call Police” sign. The poster said it didn’t look like a drill, and police were called.
BC Transit tells CHEK News it was a technical glitch.
“BC Transit can confirm that in this instance there was no actual emergency, and a false alarm due to a technical malfunction on the bus,” a spokesperson said around 2 p.m.
The corporation says it’s apologizing for any confusion, adding that the false alarm is an issue that’s happened in the past, including in Nanaimo and Campbell River.
The Facebook post about the bus in Langford had more than 300 reactions and 175 comments, with many commenters saying they were worried.
“The organization apologizes for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused,” the spokesperson said in an email.
“Our operations team was in contact with local police, and it was confirmed to be a false alarm that required no action.”
The corporation, in an email to CHEK News, noted that the use of an emergency display is “an extremely rare occurrence” on a BC Transit bus.
“This sign only shows on the outside of the bus, and is used only when circumstances do not permit the driver to communicate out for emergency assistance,” they said.
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Ethan Morneau
