WHEREAS the number of commercial vehicles using roads and highways throughout the Province is increasing; AND WHEREAS commercial vehicles pose a threat to public safety and critical infrastructure, if they are not properly maintained or are exceeding the load weight restrictions as prescribed by the Motor Vehicle Act regulations; AND WHEREAS a recent commercial vehicle inspection program in Delta resulted in a 41 failure rate including a 46 failure rate for dump trucks a rate that has remained consistent for the last three years: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government be requested to: - Require annual inspections of all commercial vehicles having a licensed gross vehicle weight of 5,500 kg to 8,200 kg; - Require twice-yearly inspections for commercial vehicles having a licensed gross vehicle weight over 8,200 kg; - Require twice-yearly inspections for container chassis trailers; - Regulate pre-trip inspections, e.g. failure to conduct pre-trip inspection will result in review of the drivers Class 1 status; - Increase the fines for commercial vehicles relating to maintenance of tires, brakes, lighting and overweight loads; - Develop an impoundment standard for commercial vehicles that consistently fail to meet the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance standards threshold; - Increase the number of truck inspection sites and commercial vehicle inspectors; - Conduct regular inspections of commercial vehicle inspection facilities to ensure compliance with the standards as prescribed; - Endorse a bylaw to provide municipalities authority to suspend the business license of trucking companies operating within their jurisdiction for having an unsatisfactory maintenance and safety record; and - Examine potential of using truck inspection technology FLIR on a collaborative cost-sharing basis with all jurisdictions.
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE The Ministry is not currently contemplating changes to the weight threshold or frequency of inspections. BCs inspection requirements for motor vehicles are generally more stringent than in neighboring jurisdictions. The Truck Compliance Advisory Panel report which was presented in March 2009, recommended increasing roadside enforcement and strengthening measures to remove unsafe vehicles from the road. This approach will impose a more effective deterrent and result in greater costs for carriers than would result from increased fines. Ministry staff are currently developing the framework for this program. BC currently has a regulation requiring pre-trip inspections. The Ministrys Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement staff are increasing mobile operations to enhance their ability to monitor carriers and vehicles which would not normally pass fixed inspection stations. The ministry is increasing its oversight of inspection facilities. All facilities are audited at the time of application and re-audited prior to renewal of their licenses, which occurs every 12 or 24 months, depending upon the type of facility. Inspection integrity is confirmed by comparing roadside vehicle out-of-service rates with inspection facility records. Carriers which are found to have unsatisfactory maintenance or safety records are taken through the National Safety Code review process whereby the company must show immediate improvement and satisfactory operation, or they will lose their Safety Certificate, without which they cannot conduct a trucking business in BC. The Ministry is implementing technology to identify vehicles at highway speeds. This will allow staff to confirm vehicle credentials and authorities without stopping the vehicle, thus allowing staff to focus their efforts on the carriers with poor performance histories. As these initiatives advance, the ministry will work with other enforcement agencies to optimize the use of these technologies in inspection activities.