OTTAWA — Nine vehicles were taken ‘out of service’ and 29 charges were laid following an Ottawa Police Service (OPS) vehicle blitz last week.

“On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the OPS Traffic Services Unit, along with Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) officers, conducted a Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Blitz in the west end of Ottawa where 41 commercial vehicle inspections were completed,” the OPS released in a statement Tuesday (Aug. 20).

Nine vehicles were taken “out of service” for a variety of issues, including defective brakes, weight restrictions and no daily pre-trip inspections. These vehicles were not able to continue until the repairs were made or issues rectified.

A total of 29 charges were laid between Ottawa Police and MTO, including no annual inspection, defective brakes, improper class of driver’s licence and lack of pre-trip inspection,  to name a few.

“We continue to see drivers of commercial motor vehicles failing to perform and complete a daily pre-trip inspection,” Ottawa Police Traffic Services Const. Phil Kane said. “One driver was operating a commercial motor vehicle while his licence was under suspension.”

“This is the fifth such blitz this spring-summer – and the results are disturbing when you consider that 22 to 35 per cent of the vehicles inspected had to be taken off our roads during these safety blitzes,” Ottawa Police Traffic Services Staff Sgt. Marc-Andre Sheehy said. “Traffic safety remains a priority for our Service and we will continue to work with MTO Enforcement officers to ensure that our roads are safe for all users.”