Ontario NDP uncovers potential fraud in province’s commercial vehicle licensing and testing process

THUNDER BAY- Lise Vaugeois, MPP for Thunder Bay–Superior North, has released the following statement today in response to an upcoming CBC marketplace investigation into the fraudulent licensing of untrained commercial vehicle drivers in Ontario.

“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.

Even when the Ford government invests in a $30M inspection station, as they have in Shuniah, 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.

Doug Ford and his Minister must act immediately to fix this mess. They need to guarantee that all commercial drivers receive legitimate training and licenses and ensure that vehicle inspection stations are adequately staffed with qualified enforcement officers.

“Empty platitudes won’t cut it anymore.”