B.C. Premier David Eby had some choice words for two trucking firms — one in B.C. and one in Alberta.
“British Columbians, especially in the Lower Mainland, have been astonished and frustrated by the number of overpass strikes,” Eby said at a press conference.
“And one of the worst offenders has been this company, Chohan.
“The astonishing part is that the company thinks that they should be still able to operate, and they’re going to court, to challenge our prohibition on their operating until they figure out how high bridges are and how high their trucks are.
“My only hope is that on the way to court, they don’t run into a bridge. (I) encourage them to take the bus or some other form of public transit on the way to the courthouse.”
The trucking company, Chohan, had its license suspended over a string of six overpass strikes over two years and is now suing the B.C. government to get its fleet back on the road.
B.C.-based Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd. and Alberta-based Chohan Group Ltd. said in B.C. Supreme Court petitions that they’re separate legal entities but have a family connection.
They said they have lost millions of dollars since their vehicles were pulled from the road.
“As a result of the suspension, the petitioner’s 63 drivers and affiliated owner-operators, many of whom are the sole income for their families, became unable to work and suffered (and continue to suffer) corresponding economic hardship,” the court filing reads.
The company said it has also lost clients and contracts, including reputational harm.
In a statement, Nitasha Chohan, the director of compliance and safety for Chohan Freight Forwarders said the company is “reluctantly taking legal action against the Government of British Columbia so that our drivers can safely get back onto the road and provide for their families.
“The overpass incident on December 28th, 2023, involved an independent owner-operator who acted contrary to explicit directions from the Company as well as in disregard of the Company’s safety policies. Every single measure within Chohan’s Safety Action Plan was followed. We have cooperated with the Ministry of Transportation and Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement as a part of their investigation and updated our internal policies in order to ensure they are as robust as possible.”
In a statement, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said “Chohan Freight Forwarders remains suspended, while the administrative process continues. The CVSE (Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement) director has had communication with the company around next steps in the process. Further enforcement action is being considered.”
Dave Earle, president and CEO of the B.C. Trucking Association told Global News that he isn’t surprised by Chohan taking the government to court.
The province announced a suite of measures late last year intended to crack down on overpass strikes.
Those included technological requirements, including speed limiters and warnings and escalating penalties for companies with repeat infractions, like the certificate suspension. They also included raising the maximum fine for over-height vehicle violations from $115 to $575.
“There are circumstances when honest mistakes get made,” Earle said. “There are circumstances when individuals act outside of their scope of duties or knowledge and then there are circumstances when there are a deeper problem.”
He added that they are working with the government and ICBC to launch an education campaign for customers, carriers and drivers on the importance of accurate measurements, followed by making sure that driver training is up-to-date.