With weather conditions on the Malahat deteriorating quickly Wednesday afternoon due to falling snow and ice, Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement (CVSE) was out making sure those braving the elements were properly equipped to do so.
CVSE had two officers stationed on the Langford side of the Malahat near the Trans-Canada Highway and West Shore Parkway intersection, checking northbound vehicles. Between the hours of 2 and 8 p.m., an estimated 60 to 70 commercial vehicles passed the check with 100 per cent compliance, according to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
During the same time frame, an officer on the north end of the Malahat encountered roughly 50 southbound commercial vehicles with 10 needing to be reminded about the chain up requirements. Three vehicles were turned away from continuing over the Malahat for not having proper tire chains.
"Safety is our number one priority, and we are committed to ensuring that all commercial trucks operating on our provincial highways meet all safety requirements," a department spokesperson said in a statement. "Overall, we find that this is an industry that’s extremely professional and safety-conscious."
Every year CVSE looks at hundreds of thousands of commercial vehicles that cross weigh scales and inspection sites across the province. On average more than 25,000 of those vehicles are targeted for closer inspections in a year.