High court: Political ads on buses legal

OTTAWA, July 10 (UPI) -- The Canadian Supreme Court ruled Friday two transit systems in British Columbia were wrong in forbidding political advertising on city buses.

The unanimous ruling in Ottawa said the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority and British Columbia Transit breached the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by refusing to run political ads during the 2005 provincial election, the Canwest News Service reported.

The appeal was filed by the British Columbia Teachers' Federation and the Canadian Federation of Students.

The transit groups argued the ads they refused weren't about a public service or goods or services, and said they could "cause offense to any person ... or create controversy."

Writing for the court, Justice Marie Deschamps disagreed.

"Like a city street, a city bus is a public place where individuals can openly interact with each other and their surroundings," the ruling said. "The side of a bus is therefore a location where expressive activity is protected by the charter."