An Aldergrove-based trucking company’s has had its licence to operate in B.C. cancelled, following six overpass collisions in the last two years.
Chohan Freight Forwarders had seen its safety certificate suspended on Dec. 29, 2023, a day after the most recent collision, when overheight ironwork being transported by a Chohan contractor crashed into the Highway 99 overpass at 112th Street in Delta.
This formal cancellation is the next step. The provincial government informed Chohan Freight on Jan. 23 that it was seeking to yank their safety certificate outright.
“This is the most severe action that can be taken against a company with multiple infractions – and it sends a clear message to operators that infrastructure crashes around our province need to stop,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Rob Fleming said in a statement. “It has never been easier to follow a route to guide a load safely through our highway system and avoid the potential for impact with infrastructure.”
Fleming said that the majority of commercial truck drivers in B.C. operated safely and responsibly
“This decision, issued by the independent director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch, follows changes that allow for progressive enforcement of suspensions to better deal with those few companies and drivers who are not being safe and responsible,” said Fleming.
Chohan launched a court action on Feb. 5, asking a judge to overturn the suspension of its safety certificate.
The company’s lawyers argued in its statement of claim that the driver involved in the most recent crash was an owner-operator, not a direct employee of Chohan, despite the fact that the truck was marked with Chohan logos and the dispatching was handled by the company.
The company put the blame for the crash on the driver, saying he had attempted to make a delivery from Delta against the advice of the Chohan dispatcher, after the load was discovered to be higher than anticipated.
A string of impacts in recent years across the Lower Mainland have damaged overpasses, causing millions of dollars in damage, and snarled traffic with each collision.
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