National

B.C. to hike commercial vehicle crash penalties after 35 over-height truck incidents

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Mar, 2024 01:34 PM

Penalties for commercial truck crashes into overpasses or other infrastructure in British Columbia are set to soar, including fines of up to $100,000 and jail sentences up to 18 months.

The New Democrat government says it's proposing changes to the Commercial Transport Act that currently prescribes fines for over-height vehicles of $500 to $598, levels that are unchanged for decades.

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says the proposed changes are in response to 35 crashes involving over-height commercial vehicles since late 2021.

The province last month cancelled the operating licence of B.C. trucking firm Chohan Freight Forwarders after one of its commercial vehicles lodged a steel girder in an overpass over Highway 99 in Delta in December.

Fleming says laws surrounding highway infrastructure crashes in B.C. have not changed since the 1970s, and the proposed maximum penalties for commercial transport violations will exceed those of other provinces and territories.

B.C. Trucking Association president Dave Earle says in a statement the association supports the proposed penalty increases.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Snowflurries in Vancouver on Tuesday

Environment Canada says the forecast calls for snowflurries in the Metro Vancouver area by Tuesday, followed by rain later this week. Temperatures are still forecast to remain well below zero Celsius in the province's northeast and Kootenay regions.

Snowflurries in Vancouver on Tuesday

Record cold in Western Canada across B.C., Alberta

In British Columbia, rescue crews say two skiers are lucky to be alive after they became lost in the Fitzsimmons Creek area near Whistler late Thursday as wind chill dipped around -50 C. North Shore Rescue says on social media that a helicopter was used to hoist out the pair who were hypothermic with frozen feet, and it's "unlikely the skiers would have survived the night."

Record cold in Western Canada across B.C., Alberta

Phone lines not meant for refund complaints: Coquitlam RCMP

Mounties in Coquitlam are reminding the public that its emergency and non-emergency lines are not meant for complaints about things like a cold fast-food burger. Police say that was one of many calls they had to 9-1-1 that take away staff time from helping someone with a life-threatening situation.

Phone lines not meant for refund complaints: Coquitlam RCMP

Snow and cold in Metro Vancouver wreaks havoc on the roads

An abrupt snowfall in Metro Vancouver resulted in snarled traffic and set off numerous crashes on major routes. Environment Canada says the area received about 3 centimetres of snow Thursday, which combined with freezing temperatures to create icy roads throughout the region.

Snow and cold in Metro Vancouver wreaks havoc on the roads

Canadians helped plan U.S., U.K. attacks on Houthis in Yemen: Defence Department

The Defence Department says Canadian Armed Forces members provided planning support for the U.S.-led attack on Houthi positions in Yemen Thursday but no Canadian equipment was involved. Three staff officers were deployed in December to the multinational operation in the Red Sea aimed at deterring Houthi blockades of the key shipping route.

Canadians helped plan U.S., U.K. attacks on Houthis in Yemen: Defence Department

Housing crunch prompts efforts to stabilize immigration levels, say federal ministers

Housing Minister Sean Fraser and Immigration Minister Marc Miller say the federal government is working to stabilize the number of people entering the country every year as housing pressures mount. The federal government ultimately decided to increase the number of permanent residents Canada welcomes each year to 500,000 in 2025 — nearly double the amount from 2015.