B.C. transport company back on the road after being slapped with 'strongest deterrent' from overpass collision
Investigators are still looking to speak with Whistler Courier and Freightways driver who fled scene
It's been more than a week since a truck's trip came to an abrupt end after hitting an overpass in North Vancouver, and the province slapped the company responsible with what it calls the strongest deterrent to a worrying trend of overpass collisions by commercial vehicles in the past two years.
A day after a transport truck belonging to Whistler Courier and Freightways collided with the overpass on Highway 1 at Dollarton Highway on Sept. 19, B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said he was using the incident to send a message to the industry to stem what appear to be preventable crashes that cause gridlock and expensive infrastructure damage.
The province suspended Whistler Courier and Freightways' licences for its entire fleet of 21 vehicles. Fleming vowed they would not be back on the road until a thorough investigation, taking weeks, would be complete.
"We've imposed really the strongest deterrent that we could," he told reporters as he expressed indignation and exasperation over the incidents. "It will send a message to the industry, there's no question about it."
But according to the transportation ministry, the suspension was lifted Sept. 27 following an "action plan" agreed to by the company and the province. Violation tickets were also issued.
Under B.C.'s Commercial Transport Act, operators found in violation of rules about the size of commercial vehicles can be fined up to $500 for each offence.
The provincial agency Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) issued fines totalling approximately $3,500 to the company, a statement from the province said.
The RCMP investigation is ongoing and officers continue to assist CVSE, the Mounties said.
"We are still looking to speak to the driver," North Vancouver RCMP Const. Mansoor Sahak told CBC News in an email Thursday.
RCMP issued a violation ticket to the company for the driver failing to remain at the scene of the incident.
Fines and penalties
On Friday, Fleming said the company is co-operating with police and has identified the driver to investigators.
"We'll let the justice system take its course," he said. He added that harsh penalties, like licence suspensions, will be part of any future overpass strike.
"I'm surprised that we still need to create disincentives for this to happen, but I think it's wise to make much stiffer fines and penalties part of the deterrent for this to happening to our infrastructure," Fleming said.
Hundreds of tickets are issued each year under B.C.'s Commercial Transport Act related to violations including the dimensions of transportation vehicles on the province's roads.
Data from ICBC shows no clear trend of the number of tickets issued increasing in concert with overpass strikes.
B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation told CBC News in a statement that, following the incident, Whistler Courier and Freightways was asked to submit a plan to ensure "any future oversized loads would be transported safely and in compliance with the relevant regulations."
The province said CVSE officers confirmed the "necessary changes" and "will be monitoring the carrier to ensure their on-road behaviour follows the company's commitment and the relevant regulations."
Whistler Courier and Freightways did not respond to a series of inquiries from CBC News about the incident, with the latest asking why the driver has not come forward to speak with authorities, and about the changes made to allow the Ministry of Transportation's suspension to be lifted.
11 collisions so far in 2023
For two years, the province has been tracking and making public these types of accidents in a bid to figure out why vehicles, which have stringent licensing tied to their operation and dimensions, continue to plow into overpasses, the height of which are easily determined.
There were 13 in 2022, five involving Highway 1 at 264 Street in Langley. So far this year, there have been 11, with two also at Highway 1 and 264 Street.
Now it appears the industry itself is more forcefully calling out the small percentage of drivers who are unable to safely navigate B.C. roads to avoid incidents with online height clearance tools from the province, and increased mandatory training for new drivers in place since 2021.
Last summer, following a Highway 1 overpass collision in Langley, the industry admitted that driver error is a significant factor in the incidents, but also called on the province to improve highway infrastructure — such as overpass heights for increasing vehicle sizes — and to share more information about overpass investigations.
'Yes, there's pressure'
Dave Earle, president and CEO of the B.C. Trucking Association, which has been working with the province over the issue, said following the latest strike in North Vancouver, the focus needs to be on training drivers, companies and customers wanting freight moved.
"Everybody involved … is under pressure … to move things, to move them quickly, to move them efficiently and to move them for the lowest cost possible," he said.
"Yes there's pressure. That doesn't alleviate the responsibility of the carrier, the employer, the driver and the customer to work together to make sure the moves happen safely."
Of the 24 overpass strike incidents listed since December 2021 on the ministry's page, all cite either driver or carrier error as the cause.
Only one other incident, from June 2022, resulted in a carrier suspension. The rest generated violation tickets as penalties.
Fleming says the province is working on legislation due this fall that will increase penalties for companies found liable for incidents like overpass strikes.
He also said the province would seek to recover the full cost of damage to infrastructure over and above what is provided by a company's insurance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Sohrab Sandhu and Jocelyn Shepel