Police conduct commercial vehicle safety blitz, taking 17 off the roads

Over the last several months Ottawa Police have been focusing on enforcement of commercial vehicles.

In the latest safety blitz, officials say there were 60 inspections conducted, with 39 charges laid and 17 vehicles taken out of service. Plates of three vehicles were seized for not complying with legislation.

Charges issued included for overweight vehicles, improper brakes and missing annual inspections.

“Vehicles were removed from the road due to serious safety issues such as defective brakes and improper lights,” police said.

Officials have been ramping up enforcement of commercial vehicles over the summer. This is due to new legislation that fully came into effect on July 1, a police spokesperson told CityNews.

“Targeted enforcement is a way of sending a message to the Towing Industry, that we expect tow operators in Ottawa to be compliant, not only with the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act (TSSEA) but also with their obligations as a commercial vehicle on our roadways,” they said.

The rules came in to regulate the industry, reduce fraud and protect vehicle owners needing a tow.

Police note that some of the charges laid are directed to the driver of the vehicle and other charges are laid to the company.

Some of the most common infractions officers noted are no pre-trip inspection, faulty brakes, insecure load and no certificate to operate under TSSEA.

Vehicles pulled over for inspections range from small businesses to transport trucks. The issue is not unique to the nation’s capital as the legislation passed provincially.

“For all other commercial vehicle enforcement, this type of enforcement is also ongoing throughout the province,” the spokesperson said. “This is one way we can keep our roads safe, by ensuring that the commercial vehicles are safe to drive and are complying with all regulations.”