Motorcoach Driver’s Guide
We want to help you have a great visit. Tourism Victoria and the City of Victoria have prepared this guide to help you explore our city streets and find suitable parking. The guide is intended to help us manage our increasing visitor traffic while preserving the charm that makes Victoria such a popular place to visit.
Our Streets and Traffic By-law requires you to park your motorcoach in designated areas only. Parking in non-designated locations will result in a $15 parking ticket and could also result in your motorcoach being towed at your expense.
We have provided information in this guide to help you avoid such an inconvenience. We want to make sure you and your passengers have a memorable, problem-free experience while visiting our city so we can welcome you back again and again. Have a great visit!
Parking Restrictions
Do not park on city streets. Park only in private parking lots and hotel parking lots with bus parking. Parking motorcoaches adjacent to residential properties is not permitted, regardless of the street signage. Parking in or around Beacon Hill Park is not permitted.
Where to Park
The 300 block of Harbour Road is a free lot designated for motorcoach parking. This lot is a 10-minute walk from downtown Victoria, just past the Princess Mary Restaurant.
When accessing the Harbour Road parking facility, note that the Johnson Street Bridge is at times lifted to accommodate large marine vessels. Use the alternate route by taking Esquimalt Road to Tyee Road to Bay Street to Douglas, to avoid delays when departing from the lot.
Ogden Point (Heliport)
Paid parking rates are: $1 per hour or $3 per 12 hours.
Ogden Point (Breakwater)
Paid parking rates are: 50 cents per 2 hours.
Motorcoaches may park in the Ogden Point lots, provided drivers obtain tickets from the ticket meter. You must purchase double the amount of tickets required for a regular vehicle, to compensate for the additional space taken by large vehicles. Pay phones and food services are located at Ogden Point.
Engine Idling
Motorcoach engine idling noise and fumes are an ongoing issue for Victoria residents. The City of Victoria Noise Abatement By-law prohibits the idling of a bus engine in the same location for more than three minutes. The penalty for an offence of the by-law is $100.
Passenger Loading and Drop-off
Loading is permitted in passenger zones, hotel zones and time-limited parking zones. When loading passengers near any public area or building, please do not leave motors idling. As a courtesy, please unload your passengers then leave the zone, returning only in time to pick up your group; this will leave the loading space open for the next bus.
Travel Routes for Motorcoaches
The City of Victoria has designated streets which can accommodate larger vehicles such as motorcoaches. Use designated arterial streets only, except when required to access a specific destination.
Parking Tickets
The City of Victoria has implemented a hand-held computer system for printing parking tickets. Each computer’s memory stores information about unpaid parking tickets. Vehicles with five or more unpaid tickets will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Travel Restrictions
Intersections where movements are physically restricted for motorcoaches include:
- Douglas at Humboldt – the northbound right turn is greater than right angle.
- Douglas at Belleville – the northbound right turn is greater than right angle.
- Douglas at Superior/Southgate – the southbound right turn radius is too small to accommodate motorcoaches.
To access the passenger zone on Belleville Street adjacent to the Royal British Columbia Museum from Wharf Street, use Government Street southbound to Belleville and turn left. Or, use Quadra Street to Southgate Street, turn right and continue on Southgate/Superior to Government Street, turn right and proceed to Belleville.
Motorcoaches are not permitted to travel on Joan Crescent to access Craigdarroch Castle. A loading zone is provided on Fort Street near Joan Crescent. Motorcoaches are not permitted to travel on Oswego Street in James Bay.
Vehicle Service
If you require vehicle service work during your visit, contact:
Wilson’s Transportation (250) 475-3235
Laidlaw/Gray Line (250) 727-9744
For more information contact:
Tourism Victoria
4th Floor, 31 Bastion Square
Victoria, BC V8W 1J1
Tel: (250) 414-6999
Fax: (250) 361-9733
E-mail: info@tourismvictoria.com
City of Victoria
Transportation Section
#1 Centennial Square
Victoria, BC V8W 1P6
Tel: (250) 361-0300
Fax: (250) 361-0311
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