PQ carriers pursue litigation against bridge load limits

[Cybergal]

PQ carriers pursue litigation against bridge load limits
2/4/08

MONTREAL -- Quebec carriers say they're suffering collateral damage from the collapsing of the Concorde bridge in Laval in 2006 and want to sue the government.


After the tragic events that killed five people and injured six others, load restrictions were applied to 135 bridges and structures across La Belle Province. To reach their customers, those carriers that frequently used the bridged had to deal with delays and detours that cost them, sometimes, several thousand dollars.
Facing those lost of revenues, fleet members are now asking the Quebec Trucking Association to examine whether suing the Quebec Transport Ministry (MTQ) is a viable option.

Most carriers in the province have been affected at some level by the load restrictions. A handful of heavy-haulers even claim they've been paralyzed because no alternate roads are available to them on certain hauls.
"Several members got penalized by the load restrictions. Some even faced a complete interruption of their operations during several days," says Marc Cadieux, president and GM of the QTA.

The QTA cannot give an exact total of lost revenues among its members. However, Julie Casaubon, coordinator of compliance and regulation at QTA says that many who use special permits faced severe operational and financial impacts. "About every carrier owns a quad axle trailer that includes a self-steering axle, that is one of the configurations forbidden on the restricted structures," she said. TodaysTrucking>>>>>