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NEWS RELEASE
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For Immediate Release June 14, 2010 |
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
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NEW MEASURES MEAN IMPROVED SAFETY
VICTORIA – The Province is implementing all four recommendations from the Truck Compliance Advisory Panel Report that will improve safety on B.C.’s highways, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond announced today.
“We put this advisory panel in place to work with industry and labour in finding ways to improve commercial vehicle safety,” said Bond. “The result was a number of recommendations that ensure we can focus attention to where it is needed most and get unsafe vehicles of the road, and keep them off.”
The recommendations being implemented are:
· The creation of a Premium Carrier program that recognizes safe carriers.
· Best practice development that integrates greater shipper responsibility.
· Greater authority over Designated Inspection Facilities and inspectors.
· Increased enforcement to ensure mechanically-unsound commercial vehicles are immediately taken off the road.
“The implementation of these recommendations validates the efforts of the advisory panel,” said Don McGill, secretary/treasurer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters and chair of the Truck Compliance Advisory Panel. “Long-term, these improvements will save lives and mean safer highways for all British Columbians.”
“We’re proud of our association’s many fine drivers and well-run companies,” said BC Trucking Association president and CEO Paul Landry. “We support these changes that will recognize excellent operators, while strengthening the rules that keep our highways safe.”
The Truck Compliance Advisory Panel was formed in 2008 by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to promote continuous improvement in the areas of compliance and safety. It was comprised of senior representatives from the British Columbia Trucking Association, the Teamsters Union and the ministry.
The report was received by government in 2009 and is available online at: http://www.cvse.ca/vehicle_inspections/PDF/090407_truck_advisory_report.pdf
Bond attended the BCTA Annual General Meeting in Victoria June 12. At the luncheon, Bond presented the BCTA/Volvo Trucks Professional Driver of the Year Award to John Beeler of Maple Ridge.
Beeler has driven over 3.75 million km with no accidents or preventable injuries, and exemplifies the many conscientious and professional drivers operating in B.C.
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A backgrounder follows.
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Media Contact:
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Jeff Knight Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 250 356-7707 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.
BACKGROUNDER
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For Immediate Release June 14, 2010 |
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
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FOUR REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED BY GOVERNMENT
Creation of a Premium Carrier program:
· The Premium Carrier Program will recognize and reward those carriers who are able to demonstrate exceptional and proactive commitment to safety and build upon their best practices to provide examples for other carriers.
· Premium carriers will be able to optimize their efficiencies through the Weigh2Go program by being able to bypass inspection stations/weigh scales more often.
· Premium carriers will also receive ministry recognition that they can use to promote themselves with shippers.
Promotion of shared responsibility between drivers, carriers and shippers:
· Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) is working with the BCTA to develop best practices and promote awareness of shared responsibility for vehicles leaving shippers facilities.
Strengthened oversight of Designated Inspection Facilities:
· The ministry has introduced amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act which will allow CVSE to implement new initiatives for monitoring of Designated Inspection Facilities.
· The amendments will enable CVSE staff to monitor inspectors in the process of conducting inspections to ensure they are following program requirements.
· CVSE is implementing more stringent monitoring and audit requirements for facilities which have been identified through comparison of roadside inspections with the inspections done at the facilities.
New measures to remove unsafe heavy commercial vehicles from the road:
· CVSE is undertaking enhanced roadside enforcement right across the province and unsafe operators will not be tolerated.
· When CVSE encounters a vehicle with critical defects, they will remove that vehicle’s licence plates.
· The vehicle will not be able to return to service until after the owner has completed the necessary repairs and provided CVSE with a maintenance plan explaining what the owner will do to ensure the vehicle will be properly monitored and maintained.
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Media Contact:
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Jeff Knight Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 250 356-7707 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.
