Two different companies who were involved in overpass strikes within 24 hours of each other earlier this week have had their licenses suspended as authorities investigate.
Public records from the provincial government show Inline Propagators Ltd., whose vehicle struck a pedestrian overpass in Stanley Park in Vancouver on Monday, has been suspended pending investigation and will be issued a violation ticket from Vancouver police.
Railport Transport Ltd., whose vehicle struck the Rice Mill Road Overpass on Highway 99 in Richmond on Tuesday, has also been suspended pending investigation.
In a video of the Tuesday incident posted to social media, a truck appears to be carrying a load of material that peaks over the top of the container. As the vehicle passes beneath the overpass, debris appears to fall onto the highway.
A commercial vehicle hits an overpass near the George Massey Tunnel and debris rains down on Highway 99 in Richmond, B.C.
The transportation ministry says no one was injured and the overpass was not critically damaged, adding the province’s Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) branch attended the scene and is investigating.
CVSE said the Stanley Park incident involved a cube truck that hit a pedestrian overpass.
The province recently announced steeper penalties for truck drivers who strike overpasses, which B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said was aimed at the “tiny percentage” of drivers who don’t take safety seriously enough.
Under proposed changes to B.C.’s Commercial Transport Act, drivers found responsible could be ordered to pay fines up to $100,000 and spend as much as 18 months in jail.
Two trucking companies involved in separate overpass strikes within 24 hours of each other earlier this week have had their licenses suspended. The disciplinary action comes as the province cracks down on commercial vehicles striking overpasses. As Sohrab Sandhu reports, drivers are also calling for better training.
The B.C. Trucking Association, which represents trucking employers, applauded the move.
The United Truckers Association, which represents truckers at the Port of Vancouver, expressed concern that the penalties are too focused on drivers, as loaders and dispatchers also play a role in ensuring a load is the correct size.