The MPP for Thunder Bay–Superior North, Lise Vaugeois, condemned the provincial government today for not cracking down on fraudulent licensing of untrained commercial vehicle drivers in Ontario.
It comes in response to an upcoming CBC marketplace investigation called "Truckload of Trouble" airing tonight at 8 p.m.
CBC describes it as "Uncovering shocking details about how some unqualified truckers are finding their way onto our roads."
“Our northern communities, where we have witnessed so many severe trucking accidents and highway closures, have been sounding the alarm about road safety for years,” said Vaugeois. “This investigation affirms what we already know; the safety of our roads is being compromised by the Ford government’s indifference to our communities."
Two years ago six people, including four from Ontario, faced fraud charges, linked to a two-year OPP investigation related to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver training.
In March 2019, the OPP was advised by the Sûreté du Québec of fraudulent passenger and CMV licensing activities, which led to a lengthy criminal investigation. The investigation focused on fraudulent licensing activities, which circumvented the processes of the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
"The OPP's investigation revealed three major components of a serious fraudulent scheme, significantly impacting the safety of Canadian highways."
- use of an interpreter to fraudulently complete required licensing knowledge tests
- non-Ontario residents applying for an Ontario driver's licence
- circumvention of the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) standard
Investigators identified over 200 incidents in which students had committed a variety of fraudulent activities to obtain a commercial vehicle licence.
See: Charges laid in transport driver training fraud investigation
Vaugeois notes the example of a $30M inspection station in Shuniah, built east of Thunder Bay. "There is no follow-through, and the station is rarely staffed.
"For more than two years, I have called on the Ford government to address these concerns. Successive Conservative and Liberal governments have privatized critical services, abdicating responsibility for the safety of our highways. The result is that today, there is no oversight, and the consequences are glaring us in the face."
She calls on Doug Ford and his minister to act immediately to "fix this mess."
She wants a guarantee that all commercial drivers receive legitimate training and licenses and ensure that vehicle inspection stations are adequately staffed with qualified enforcement officers.
However, the Director of Media Relations with the MTO Dakota Brasier told BayToday, "We have zero tolerance for bad actors in our system. As we have already done, we will suspend any operator found to be in contravention of our regulations. If SERCO is unable to control fraud in the programs it administers, we will re-evaluate the contract with them. We expect full accountability from all partners, and failure to meet our standards will have severe consequences."
SERCO delivers the driver testing through Drivetest.
"Empty platitudes won’t cut it anymore,” says Vaugeois.