Thursday, October 31, 2024

Author: Rita Smith

NewsRoad Safety DiscussionTrucking

Drivers’ petition call on governments to investigate Truck driving schools

Rita Smith

Truckers for Safer Highways is asking for your support to call on both the Federal and Provincial governments to begin an inquiry into the training of new drivers across Canada. Many new drivers are taught to ‘pass the test’ and not necessarily to become the safest and most professional drivers possible.  There is no real standard for who is allowed to train new drivers within each training school, nor are these schools checked on a regular basis to ensure they are teaching to the standards laid out by the jurisdictions they are based in,” the petition on Change.org reads.

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Delivery/Courier newsNewsTrucking

Group urges Purolator employees to join lawsuit over privacy, COVID issues

Rita Smith

Purolator violated the privacy rights of its employees when it demanded access to their personal medical information, a group of them is alleging.

The group of employees served Purolator with a cease-and-desist letter on April 25th, and is preparing to file a lawsuit later this month. There are both unionized and non-unionized members in the group, which currently numbers in the hundreds and which organizers hope will become thousands in the days ahead.

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Average Trucker has more integrity “in his pinky finger” than Charest had in his entire “scandal-plagued Cabinet” Poilievre says in May 5 debate

Rita Smith

PAC (the Canadian Parliamentary Access Channel) hosted the first of two all-candidates to be held in the Conservative leadership race last night. The Truckers’ convoy provided a contentious debate point between former Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Pierre Poilievre, Carleton MP.

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June 2nd election called in Ontario; Ford promises to “end gridlock” on 401 in eastern Ontario

Rita Smith

Ontario’s election has been called, as Premier Doug Ford announced that Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, has accepted his advice to sign a proclamation dissolving the 42nd Parliament of the Province of Ontario, effective as of 4:00 p.m. May 3rd. The election will be held on June 2nd.

The provincial budget which was released on April 28th now essentially serves as the Progressive Conservative’s election platform: the Budget was not debated or voted on in Parliament. However, if the PC Party is re-elected to a second majority government, they will be able to point to the general election results as a mandate to implement their Budget, which includes particular focus on roads and highways.

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“We are ready” for first week of professional driver training, AMB Driving School promises

Rita Smith

The first firm approved to deliver vehicle-for-hire driver training in Toronto says “We are ready” for the flood of drivers expected to sign up for the May 3rd program start.

As the first private sector firm identified by Toronto to provide vehicle-for-hire driver training, Advanced Motoring Bureau (AMB) is now gearing up for the flood of drivers anticipated to sign up beginning this week: “We are ready. Staff have been meeting on a daily basis and will continue to do so; the curriculum, which meets all of the requirements set by Toronto, has been developed with expert drivers in mind, not novice drivers,” says Shafique Malik, who founded ABM in 1993.

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“It’s crazy” for Councillors to discuss pedalcycles as Accessible Taxi program is imploding

Rita Smith

“Councillors actually have the time to discuss something like that? That’s crazy. Maybe they could spend talking about Accessible Taxis instead, and what the City plans to do when the whole Accessible vehicle program implodes.

“Maybe we could make sure every Accessible client who needs a ride makes it to every medical appointment on time first?” she suggested. “And then when that’s done, take time to talk about 16-person pedi-cycles?”

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