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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.