Liberal government’s road safety failures put Ontario drivers at risk: NDP

Ontario NDP Transportation critic Wayne Gates asked the Liberal government when will it finally decide to prioritize the safety of Ontario drivers after a report yesterday showed that just over seven percent of the commercial trucks on our roads are actually inspected each year and nearly 25 percent of them fail those inspections. 

“In 2008, the Auditor-General revealed serious flaws in our commercial vehicle inspection system. Seven years later it looks like little has changed,” said Gates, MPP for Niagara Falls. 

Gates noted that a pattern is forming with this Liberal government: “the government cuts costs, and then it cuts corners.”

Gates said that this is far from the first concern raised in regards to trucking and road safety in Ontario. 

“In the past few months we have learned about serious flaws with Ontario’s privatized truck driver examination centres,” said Gates. “We have known for years that privatized winter road maintenance is a mess.  Yet here we are again seeing serious flaws with the commercial vehicle inspection system.” 

“When will the government stop cutting corners and endangering Ontarians by restoring proper oversight over the safety of our highways?” asked Gates.