Close X
Friday, October 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. truckers group calls for government safety review on overpass strikes

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 03 Jan, 2024 01:14 PM
  • B.C. truckers group calls for government safety review on overpass strikes

After more than 30 overpass strikes by commercial trucks in British Columbia in the past two years, a trucking group is urging the transportation minister to conduct a wide-ranging safety review of the provincial supply chain. 

The United Truckers Association says in a statement that recent overpass strikes have brought to light "deficiencies" in road safety for commercial vehicles. 

Association spokesman Gagan Singh says new training and protocols must be applied equally across all parties, including cargo shippers and B.C.'s importers and exporters. 

B.C.'s Transportation Ministry grounded the 65-truck fleet of Chohan Freight Forwarders last week after freight on one of its vehicles hit an overpass in Lower Mainland, the company's sixth infrastructure strike within two years. 

A statement from the ministry says Chohan also operates a separate company in Alberta, and while carriers from one province may operate in another jurisdiction, it is communicating with regulators in that province who are aware of the suspension in B.C. 

Singh says his group is "imploring" Transport Minister Rob Fleming to understand that all parties in the supply chain must be held accountable to improve road safety. 

MORE National ARTICLES

RCMP search for puppy, Lil Bit, stolen in alleged home invasion in Surrey, B.C.

RCMP search for puppy, Lil Bit, stolen in alleged home invasion in Surrey, B.C.
Police in Surrey, B.C., are appealing for public help to find a puppy that was stolen during an alleged home invasion robbery. They say the six-month-old female miniature pinscher and Shih Tzu cross named Lil Bit was snatched when two people forced their way into a home on 147A Street last month and made off with the residents' belongings.

RCMP search for puppy, Lil Bit, stolen in alleged home invasion in Surrey, B.C.

Multiple charges as 27-year-old accused in crash that killed two B.C. teens

Multiple charges as 27-year-old accused in crash that killed two B.C. teens
A statement from Metro Vancouver Transit Police says Cory Brown faces two counts of criminal negligence causing death, one count of driving while disqualified and one count of flight from police. He remains in custody and is expected to return to court on July 19.  

Multiple charges as 27-year-old accused in crash that killed two B.C. teens

Get another COVID-19 booster in the fall, Canada's immunization panel recommends

Get another COVID-19 booster in the fall, Canada's immunization panel recommends
NACI continues to strongly recommend that anyone five years of age and older who hasn't yet been vaccinated should be immunized with a primary two-dose series of an mRNA vaccine. It also has a "discretionary recommendation" that children six months to five years of age who haven't yet been vaccinated get the two-dose primary series of an mRNA vaccine.

Get another COVID-19 booster in the fall, Canada's immunization panel recommends

Southbound surges of U.S. agents causing delays, 'disarray' at Canada-U.S. border

Southbound surges of U.S. agents causing delays, 'disarray' at Canada-U.S. border
New York Democrat Rep. Brian Higgins says Customs and Border Protection personnel are being temporarily reassigned to help fortify the U.S. border with Mexico. Higgins says as a result, busy points of entry along the Canada-U.S. border are seeing longer delays and unstaffed kiosks. 

Southbound surges of U.S. agents causing delays, 'disarray' at Canada-U.S. border

NATO leaders agree to spend at least two per cent of their countries' GDP on defence

NATO leaders agree to spend at least two per cent of their countries' GDP on defence
A statement released this afternoon in Vilnius, Lithuania, says NATO members pledge to make two per cent of GDP the minimum spend each year, with one-fifth of that going to equipment.

NATO leaders agree to spend at least two per cent of their countries' GDP on defence

As pandemic business loan repayment deadline looms, calls for extending deadline grow

As pandemic business loan repayment deadline looms, calls for extending deadline grow
The Canada Emergency Business Account program provided about 900,000 small businesses and not-for-profits up to $60,000 in interest-free loans during the pandemic. The deadline to repay these loans was extended last year to December 31, 2023 to ease pressure on businesses still recovering from the pandemic. 

As pandemic business loan repayment deadline looms, calls for extending deadline grow