A representative of the trucking industry is warning about what he calls 鈥渃hameleon carriers,鈥� after a new corporation was registered to the address of the man who owns the Alberta company involved in the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy.
Calgary-based Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. had its safety fitness certificate temporarily suspended following the April 6 crash near Tisdale, Sask., which resulted in the deaths of 16 people and left 13 others injured. Alberta Transportation said at the time that the suspension is 鈥渟tandard practice.鈥�
A new numbered company is now registered to the address of Sukhmander Singh, the owner of Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. Singh claims that he is not involved with the new company.
Alberta Transportation confirms that at least one truck driver is now working for the company. It is not the driver who was at the wheel of the truck that collided with the Broncos bus.
Last month, ads seeking Calgary truck drivers were posted on the website Kijiji.ca. An archived version lists Singh鈥檚 phone number listed as the contact, suggesting he may have been recruiting drivers.
Chris Nash, president of the Alberta Motor Transport Association, said that the new company could be a 鈥渃hameleon carrier,鈥� which he explains is a company owned by an operator whose old company may have run into possible trouble with regulators.
鈥淯nfortunately, they have that ability,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to find a way to work with all levels of government (so) that we can stop that.鈥� It is not against the law to be a 鈥渃hameleon carrier.鈥�
Nash said that 鈥渁 good majority鈥� of trucking companies have good safety records, but others 鈥渄on't subscribe to the safety way, which results in some serious incidents on our roads.鈥� He said 鈥渃hameleon carriers鈥� can make the roads less safe.
Alberta Transportation Minister Brian Mason said that the province will be auditing the new numbered company for the next three months to check that it is operating safely.
Tuesday that the investigation into the Broncos bus collision is ongoing and they are 鈥渘ot able to provide an estimate as to when the investigation might be complete.鈥�
The release adds that investigators are 鈥減reparing for Crown consultation at the conclusion of the investigation which occurs in many serious, sensitive, and complex investigations.鈥� No charges have been laid.
With a report from CTV Calgary鈥檚 Jordan Kanygin
