“Everything is in place” for a future road disaster

On March 6, the judge of the Administrative Labor Tribunal (TAT), Danielle Tremblay, stood out on the side of the fraternity of the constables of road control. Furthermore, The union had filed a complaint before the risks and dangers experienced by its members during their interventions.

Road controllers in particular claim the right to carry a firearm to protect themselves when they patrol. However, intercept road users. Meanwhile,

In its judgment, the TAT has prohibited all road controllers in the province from making patrols. For example, The constables are thus confined to their control posts since March, an environment deemed “security” for the latter.

However, in Charlevoix, there has been no posts for road control since 2018. However, The road controllers have been completely absent from the region since “everything place” future road disaster this spring. Similarly,

Another tragedy is taking shape? – "everything place" future road disaster

“As we speak. Meanwhile, it is worse than the situation which led to the bus accident at the landslides,” says Jean-Claude Daignault, president of the fraternity. Meanwhile,

On October 13. Consequently, 1997, a bus with defective brakes hit the large coast between landslides and Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, before crashing into a ravine near the river. However, With 44 dead, this is the largest road tragedy in the history of the country.

“At the time, there was an internal note that prohibited us from intercepting buses. Some companies knew it and had started to neglect their interviews and their checks, ”says Daignault.

According to him. the absence of road control patrols on the Quebec network could again generate relaxation and negligence in heavyweight owners and drivers.

“Before the judgment, our constables spent 70% of their time on patrol. The offenders know where the control posts are, they are often able to take roads to avoid them, ”he adds.

Mr. Daignault cites as an example the accident that occurred in June in Baie-Saint-Paul. when a heavyweight rushed to a store and made a victim. He stresses that this event could possibly have been avoided with the presence of controllers on the roads.

“It doesn’t hold water”

While stressing that the modifications which have been made to the Grande Côte since 1997 would prevent a bus from being at the bottom of the ravine. the mayor of the landslides, Emmanuel Deschênes, is in agreement with the president of Fraternity.

“With the absence of road controllers. heavy goods vehicles can pass free To all areas of brake verification, and do not send a brakes into the coasts of Charlevoix, “worries Mr. Deschênes.

“I do not know any other region in “everything place” future road disaster Quebec where there are as many ribs, brake verification areas and arrest beds than Charlevoix. Do not have road controllers here is not the road. ”

— Emmanuel Deschênes. mayor of the landslides

He argues that the presence of road controllers, whether visible or not, encourages the truck drivers to make their brake checks to avoid fines.

“Go sit down at the bottom of the Grande Côte. at the bottom of the coasts of Baie-Saint-Paul or Clermont, it is sure that it smells brakes. With traffic. traffic lights at the bottom of the coasts of Baie-Saint-Paul, I’m sorry, but it is not the last death that there will be there, “says Deschênes.

“No question of compromising security”

The deputy of Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré. Kariane Bourassa, indicates for her part “that there is no question of compromising the security of controllers or that of road users” and that “all the efforts and actions necessary are put in place” so that the controllers can resume their patrols.

“The minister’s office [des transports] Works closely with the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company. head of road controllers, to set up the necessary adjustments, ”says Bourassa.

“Once completed. the work will be submitted to the Committee on standards, equity, health “everything place” future road disaster and safety at work, mandated by the state in order to determine whether the measures taken by the employer are sufficient to raise the derogations and allow the return of patrols,” she adds.

The prefect of Charlevoix. mayor of the Municipality of Saint-Hilarion, Patrick Lavoie, stresses that his MRC takes steps with the Quebec government so that a solution is found in this file which puts road controllers at risk as well as road users.

“We see it currently, there are a lot of files lying around. I think that one is not a file that must drag, ”concludes Mr. Lavoie.