No more private-sector truck inspection stations in B.C.

VICTORIA, B.C. (Dec. 22) — The Insurance Corp. of British Columbia issued a moratorium on new Designated Inspection Facilities (DIF) as part of an overall review to improve the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Program.

DIFs are privately-operated facilities certified to perform annual or semi-annual inspections of commercial vehicles. Currently there are more than 1600 licensed DIFs in communities across B.C., the agency said.

“This is an important step in improving the safety of commercial vehicles operating in British Columbia,” said Mike Farnworth, the minister responsible for ICBC. “This fulfills another recommendation made by the joint government/industry/labor Truck Safety Task Force.”

The task force, established last year, recommended that the private-sector mechanical and safety inspection system be maintained but called for a review of the entire inspection program. The moratorium on new appointments allows the review to move forward.

Throughout 1999, the review will look at issues such as the potential development of an accreditation program for DIFs, improved auditing of inspection facilities, and an examination of current penalties for non-complying facilities.

An earlier moratorium, from June 1997 to April 1998, was followed by the introduction of a new application process which required applicants to meet improved facilities and equipment standards.

A concurrent moratorium on applications for new Preventative Maintenance Programs (PMP) will also be implemented on the same date. A PMP is an ongoing maintenance program established by a private company that has a dedicated commercial vehicle fleet. There are approximately 570 PMPs in B.C.

ICBC said it can be flexible in appointing new facilities if an area is underserviced.

The DIF moratorium follows a decision last week to require commercial vehicle driver licence applicants to be tested and certified only by ICBC driver examiners. That measure also fulfilled a task force recommendation.

The semi-annual and annual commercial vehicle inspection program is supplemented by roadside inspections conducted as part of ICBC’s overall campaign to improve road safety. These mobile inspection stations can be moved to different locations as needed.