'At the breaking point': B.C. truckers call on government to clear dangerous highways
A group representing truck drivers is calling on the B.C. government to ensure highways are cleared of snow and dangerous potholes are fixed or goods will no longer be transported.
Ajay Toor, who speaks for the West Coast Trucking Association, says black ice and large potholes are creating hazardous driving conditions, which have resulted in several accidents over the past few weeks.
He says truckers are encountering black ice, particularly at night, and some are worried they're putting their lives at risk while on the job.
Toor says truckers who report harsh highway conditions on the government's DriveBC website are being informed that so many complaints are coming in that they should be emailing highway maintenance contractors instead.
But he says it's impossible for drivers to know which of 28 government contractors are in charge of particular highways across the province.
Toor says the association contacted the Transportation Ministry last month and has also reached out to members of the legislature but has had no response so they'll be holding a rally from Surrey to Vancouver next Saturday.
“This is really just to make the government wake up,” he says. “If not, then we're at the breaking point and we're going to stop our trucks.”
He says it's challenging for the drivers to put chains on tires in areas with piles of snow and low temperatures so it's up to the government to take action.
Toor says truckers who cross into Alberta are driving on cleared and repaired roads and he's at a loss to understand why safety concerns in the transportation sector don't seem to be a priority in his home province.
“In the morning, when the public (uses) the highways, they clean them,” he says, adding that's not the case at night when many truckers are crisscrossing major roads.
The Transportation Ministry in B.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.