Trucks paralyzed, trips to the United States on ice, loss of income… Truckers fear being out of work next month as the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) computer ordeal drags on.
• Also read: SAAQ failures: 90 more days to renew your license
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“If I don’t receive my registration at the end of March. My business is closed. I have to put the key in the door until I receive what is necessary,” lamented Charles Pellerin, a driver caught on the streets of New York State on Wednesday.
For him, losing rhymes translates into $30,000 in lost income every month.
“It attacks SMEs directly. I’ve never seen a government agency come to freeze an entire industry,” he laments.
Charles Pellerin, truck driver
At the Association of Professional Drivers of Quebec (ARPQ), their general director, Francis Rouleau, goes so far as to say that “after March 31st it will be fun to watch”.
“All trucks in Quebec will be in license plate renewal on March 31,” explains the owner of the fleet of four Prime Transport trucks.
“For me the problem is the inability to get negative points from the drivers [pour les assurances] and their proof of license payment,” shared Marco Lamoureux, CEO of Sherrington Transport.
“Some will no longer be able to travel to the United States without a driver’s license or license plate. Trucks are blocked. You will lose revenue. It will disrupt the supply chain,” warns Benoit Therrien, President of Truck Stop Quebec.
A cross on the United States
In the Journal, a transport company owner was very nervous, refusing to be identified for fear of excessive checks.
“In the United States, the police will be ignorant of the new SAAQ rules. How many times do we get pulled over because they see a vehicle with no license plates? To avoid this, we will no longer travel to the United States,” he said.
For the CEO of the Quebec Trucking Association (ACQ), Marc Cadieux, everything must be done now to prevent the worst from happening.
“We could have problems. Unless there is a solution that we don’t know about yet,” he said.
The SAAQ wants to calm down
Along with Le Journal, the SAAQ wanted to be reassuring despite the storm.
“These truckers will be given priority service when they need to leave Quebec,” spokesman Gino Desrosiers said.
“People who have a professional obligation will be served first,” he stressed, easing concerns from some industry players.
- On Wednesday, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (FCC) called for “the suspension of this year’s driver’s license renewal fees due to the ongoing computer outage at the SAAQ.”
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