SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Department of Transportation is now looking into how best to make carrier safety ratings, which include large trucks and buses, available to the public.

Crews survey the scene in February after a tractor trailer left Hwy 3 near Deh Cho Blvd. and rolled onto its side. - NNSL file photo

That comes after a March 17 Yellowknifer story that pointed out the department was not following its own road June 2015 road safety plan, that stated the public has access to the ratings. The ratings have been maintained by the registrar of motor vehicles with the Department of Transportation since 1990.

The ratings are compiled by assessing a company's safety record in terms of collisions, convictions, inspections and facility audits. The road safety plan states "the availability of these ratings to the general public allows institutions and businesses requiring the services of carriers to make informed service procurement decisions."

However, Sonya Saunders, director of planning, policy and communication with the Department of Transportation (DOT) said the department currently does not have the authority to make the ratings public.

"Our goal is to make the information public," she said. "It's going to take a bit of work to do this because we want to look at the best practices across the country while we are doing this so that we do it right the first time."

In an interview with Yellowknifer last week, DOT spokesperson Ioana Spiridonica said she believes the statement in the report that indicates the ratings are public could be an error.

"We're looking to see if maybe there was some mistaken information included," she said.

Saunders said officials will have an idea on how they will make this information public by the end of April. She said it is not yet clear whether the move will require a change in regulations or a legislative amendment.

"All of the carriers in the NWT have a satisfactory rating right now," she said.

There are 375 active carrier companies in the territory. Of those, 56 of them are satisfactory and the rest are satisfactory unaudited. Saunders said that the unaudited carriers have not been assessed for safety in the NWT but have been deemed satisfactory in other jurisdictions, mainly Alberta. Satisfactory is the highest possible rating.

The questions about carrier safety ratings arose after a number of trucking incidents in and around Yellowknife this winter. There have been at least four truck fires and four rollovers. The latest was a week ago today when a truck hauling diesel rolled over on the Ingraham Trail near the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road to the diamond mines.

No one has been hurt in any of the incidents.

Earlier this month, Schumann told the legislative assembly he had met with trucking officials to find out why there has been a spate of incidents.

Meanwhile, the RCMP has clarified its role when it comes to investigating trucking accidents on NWT roads. Sgt. Donnie Duplissea of Yellowknife RCMP stated in an e-mail the Mounties do investigate motor vehicle collisions and will respond to scenes where there is a safety risk to the public.

"When the investigation is complete, we determine if there's sufficient evidence to support a charge or charges under the Motor Vehicle Act, Criminal Code etc," he stated.

It was not clear as of press time whether RCMP had charged any drivers involved in the trucking incidents this winter. Duplissea's e-mail followed an earlier RCMP statement that they were not the lead investigator in any of the truck crashes this winter and were there simply to help with traffic safety.

Steve Louttit, director of road licensing and safety for the DOT, confirmed last week the department has laid a charge in relation to one of the trucking incidents this winter. He would not say which one or identify who had been charged, saying that would be unfair before the person had their day in court.

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