When my co-worker mentioned it, I wished it was just a joke but it seems that it’s not.  Many in the industry have often felt that there was some quota some place that enforcement officers had to fill.  Seems that for MTO enforcement in Ontario at least there is according to a news report from Today’s Trucking.

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According to a document entitled “TEO2 2013 Performance Expectations” it outlines the following:

“A minimum of 60% of available time inspecting CMVs [commercial motor vehicles];

“This must equal a minimum of 600 level 1, 2 or 5 inspections;

“Of which 120 must be level 1;

Seems reasonable so far, mandating how much enforcement has to look at vehicles and what percentage of different level inspections have to be made.   Here though is where it gets nasty and rather suspicious.

“A minimum 20% OOS [out of service] rate on level 1 & 2 inspections combined;

“A minimum charge rate of 20% (i.e. at least 20% of all inspections have 1 or more charges);

“A reasonable balance of inspections based on axle counts as determined by each district’s CMV makeup.”

So if you ever got the feeling that MTO enforcement is just looking for a charge, you may be right in feeling that way because officers have been told they have to.

Trucking Today rightly goes on to state that this policy certainly does put into question the quality of data the MTO spits out.  How much of it is just being nit picky and how much of it really exists as a matter of safety.

You know this is just the icing on the cake regarding the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.  Just a couple of weeks ago news broke out about one of their own put back on the job after pleading guilty as a sex offender.   He was put back on the job because he was given a conditional discharge and placed on probation for three years.  A conditional discharge is considered to be an administrative pardon.

Is it any wonder why we don’t really trust the system any more.  Sex offenders given enforcement quotas to make our roads safe.  Wonder what’s next.

 

 

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