Winter tires on TransLink buses? Don't count on it
Bus drivers are speaking out about the terrible road conditions that put them in danger during this week’s snowstorm.
“I think municipalities have failed. They knew about the storm (that) was coming,” said Balbir Mann, president of Unifor Local 111, the bus drivers' union.
“There should have been sand out on the streets, salt. They have special chemicals they use now that’s very effective, but I don’t think it was done in a timely manner,” he continued.
Road conditions were rough this week, with images circulating of cars and buses crashing into each other in Surrey.
Many commuters across Metro Vancouver were left feeling frustrated as they were trapped in buses for hours, struggling to get home.
Bus drivers don’t want to see Tuesday's chaos repeated.
A major question on people's minds is winter tires. Will we see them installed on TransLink buses? Likely not.
In a statement to CTV News, TransLink said all its buses "are equipped with three-peak mountain snowflake tires for winter weather. These tires have been recommended to us by Michelin as the best tires for typical Metro Vancouver winter weather."
“These tires well exceed B.C. regulations for operating in winter conditions,” the statement continued.
While these "all-season" tires are tested for performance in snow, they are not the same as winter tires.
“I’ve seen many storms myself," Mann said. "Are we safe in these tires? Yes, we are. But we drive to the conditions of the road. We never had winter socks before, now we do."
The socks are being used for specific buses that drive up hilly areas with snow buildup, and are not effective on roads without snow, according to TransLink.
“Tire socks are used on specific routes that meet these conditions, such as Burnaby Mountain, UBC, and certain areas on the North Shore,” the transit provider said in its statement.
“Most of the delays to bus service on Tuesday evening were caused by buses stuck in traffic due to gridlock throughout Metro Vancouver.”
Correction
This story has been updated to better explain the distinction between winter tires and three-peak mountain snowflake tires.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6 per cent in January as Quebec strikes end
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.