Increased truck enforcement along Ontario highways and border crossings to the U.S. are having a significant impact on non-compliance, according to recently released data.
Dubbed Operation Deterrence, the stepped-up enforcement was Ontario’s response to U.S. tariff threats. The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) encouraged the province to increase operating hours of truck inspection stations, increase the presence of government agencies, launching joint blitzes on immigration concerns and other abuses permeating cross-border trade.
The OTA says a member survey reflected a marked increase in enforcement’s presence on Ontario roads. It requested a progress report from the Ministry of Transportation and found: Since Jan. 7, more than 48,000 truck inspections have been completed as part of the operation; and the province is on pace to complete more than 100,000 inspections this year.
“The scope, scale and result of MTO’s efforts are impressive,” said Mark Bylsma, OTA chairman.
The data also showed: 32 vehicles have been impounded for serious safety defects; 151 inspections resulted in a plate removal for serious violations; nearly 3,000 inspections resulted in vehicles being placed out of service (nearly 6.2%); more than 14,000 violations have been identified; about 18.5% of all inspections identified at least one violation; more than 4,200 charges have been laid; and more than 22,500 non-compliance issues have been documented.
“This is exactly what we need at this time from MTO. It is undeniable, we have seen a deterioration of safety on our provincial highways in recent years and we applaud MTO for their recent efforts to identify and crack down on non-compliance in our industry,” said Bylsma.
“However, the increase of unsafe operators from within and outside of Ontario is something all jurisdictions need to take more seriously and need to step up by putting more boots on the ground and producing results like this. Efforts like Operation Deterrence restores confidence in enforcement oversight and sends a signal to everyone that highway safety and secure borders matter.”
