It’s been seven months since the Administrative Labour Tribunal ruled that commercial vehicle enforcement officers work in unsafe conditions and need better protections. The government responded by confining officers to weigh stations, effectively barring them from performing an essential duty: patrolling Quebec roads.
With serious and fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles on the rise, is the government’s inaction tantamount to criminal negligence? Each day the issue goes unaddressed, road users’ lives are put at greater risk.
“We hold the government responsible,” said Jean-Claude Daigneault, President of the Fraternité des constables du contrôle routier du Québec. “This situation is unacceptable and indefensible. It’s well past time for the government to show leadership and common sense.”
Public safety can’t wait. Commercial vehicle enforcement officers make 110,000 interventions each year, playing a key role in preventing accidents, inspecting heavy vehicles, and enforcing safety standards. Officers’ absence from the roads has major consequences.
We demand that the government act immediately to:
- Comply with the Administrative Labour Tribunal ruling
- Provide commercial vehicle enforcement officers with the means to stay safe, including the required protective tools
- Facilitate officers’ swift return to Quebec roads
“Enough is enough! Road safety is critical for all,” said Daigneault. “This negligence and inaction must come to an end.”
Press review (in French only):
COGÉCO 98,5FM: 75% moins d’interceptions sur les routes | Plusieurs collisions mortelles sur les routes impliquant des camionneurs — 98.5 Montréal
On “Drivers inc”, La Presse: Accident sur l’autoroute 30 | 57 heures d’affilée au volant | La Presse