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Manitoba government’s oversight of commercial vehicles inadequate: auditor

Dec 18, 2019 | 10:12 AM

WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s auditor general says the province’s oversight of large trucks and other commercial vehicles is inadequate.

In a 65-page report, Norm Ricard says the province does not properly check operators’ safety knowledge before it issues them certificates.

Ricard also says inspections are lacking because major weigh stations are closed when almost half of commercial truck traffic occurs.

The report says almost all Level 1 truck inspections — the most thorough and detailed checks — are done during only five months of the year, from spring to early fall.

Manitoba recently brought in mandatory training for entry-level commercial truck drivers.

The move was in response to a deadly 2018 crash between a semi-trailer and a bus carrying players and staff from the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team in Saskatchewan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 18, 2019.

The Canadian Press