Police in Burnaby continue to nail more unlicensed drivers in a series of enforcement blitzes.
Burnaby RCMP’s traffic team was out targeting drivers making their way into Burnaby in the middle of the week, according to a police tweet.
In all, cops handed out 42 tickets for a variety of issues, including trucks loaded with vehicle defects.
But they also caught three people driving around without valid licenses. This is an issue that police have been highlighting during the past few months after catching dozens and dozens of drivers without licenses.
Burnaby RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Kalanj spoke to the NOW back in November 2021 about what they were finding during these enforcement campaigns.
“It still blows my mind, 10 people,” Kalanj said about one night of ticketing. “And it wasn’t like they spent a 12-hour shift doing this...That’s 10 in Burnaby alone. Think of the rest of the Lower Mainland.”
Days later, 14 drivers were caught without licenses at one time.
Several vehicles were towed during the recent enforcement blitz. Is that really worth the trouble it takes to get a proper licence?
This is infuriating, but not as much as the results of recent commercial vehicle enforcements by police in Burnaby.
Officers with the RCMP’s traffic section and their Lower Mainland counterparts were out on 10th Avenue by 20th Street on the Burnaby-New Westminster border at the end of January.
They inspected 37 commercial vehicles and took 26 out of service for safety violations, according to police.
The officers found a total of 135 violations and issued 62 tickets.
They caught one driver who was prohibited from driving but was operating a truck anyway.
Neither of his passengers was wearing a seatbelt, the cargo in the back was not secured and the truck had a flat tire, according to police.
So when you hear news about some trucks complaining about having to be vaccinated, remind them that they should put their focus on maintaining their vehicles so they don’t kill anyone.
- With additional reporting by Cornelia Naylor
