by Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

NNSL (June 06/97) - The results of a truck checkstop this week has prompted law enforcement officers to step up their inspections.

"Just because the violations are so many and so severe here, we see there's a problem," said Harris Beaulieu of the Department of Transportation.

RCMP, municipal enforcement and the Department of Transportation inspected 11 trucks during the two-day program that ran on Tuesday and Wednesday. Among those vehicles operating with serious violations was a transit bus that had a major leak in its air-brake system.

A garbage truck was also towed away because it had one brake out of four working -- the back brakes were held in place with a set of vice-grips. Two vehicles were taken off the road due to the seriousness of their violations.

Several warning tickets and fines were also issued for various violations.

The inspections were part of a national program for Transportation Safety Week.

Though the inspection program has been running at the Enterprise and Inuvik weigh stations since 1989, this is the first time it has been run in Yellowknife.

"Because of the results today, we'll definitely be doing more inspections in the city," said Beaulieu.