Alberta bus company busted for illegal operations after being shut down in 2023

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) says it has fined a bus company that was shut down two years ago amid hundreds of violations, but has allegedly continued to operate under a new name.

On Dec. 5, 2023, officers with the EPS commercial vehicles investigations unit completed an investigation into the operational records of Alberta North Transportation Ltd.

Police said the local company transported large groups of people on private excursions, including students on school trips to places like Drumheller, Jasper and Lake Louise.

As a result, Alberta North Transportation was charged with 223 offences, including not having proper trip inspections, CVIP inspections or logbooks.

The company was also fined $108,000.

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Though the company’s safety fitness certificates were cancelled, Edmonton police allege it subsequently reopened under new names and continued operating illegally.

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EPS and investigators with Alberta Transportation determined the now-defunct “Alberta North Transportation” is now operating under the name “Northern Alberta Transportation.”

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Police seized one of the company’s buses on Oct. 10, but said it’s believed the company owns several more buses and may be continuing to operate illegally without a safety certificate.

In early October, the province announced sweeping changes aimed at cracking down on what it said are unsafe commercial driver training schools and bad actors in the trucking industry.

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The province said the ramped-up enforcement would include more oversight of driver training schools and carriers through inspections, audits and targeted investigations.

The aim was to go after reckless operators who ignore the rules, the province said.

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Back in July, a week-long commercial driver status and classification check stop was conducted, in which 195 drivers were stopped. Of those, 20 per cent of the drivers were suspected of being misclassified, including several temporary foreign workers.

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Thirteen commercial trucking companies have also been removed from Alberta’s roads due to “poor on-road performance, unsafe equipment or failure to meet mandatory safety standards.”

Of those, the province said seven were identified as “chameleon” carriers — companies that try to avoid regulatory oversight by changing names, creating new entities or relocating operations across jurisdictions.

“This company is one of the ‘chameleon’ carriers that Alberta Transportation has recently taken enforcement action against,” said Const. Kyle Westergaard with Edmonton police.

“In this case, the company was continuing to transport busloads of passengers, including school-aged children, while failing to meet Alberta safety requirements.”

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The company has been fined more than $100,000.

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The Alberta government said it’s working with federal and provincial/territorial partners to strengthen enforcement Canada-wide to address “chameleon” carriers.

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Already, the province said it has ordered the closure of five driver training schools.

In addition, the province said it has issued 39 disciplinary letters, more than $100,000 in administrative penalties, six corrective action plans, revoked 12 instructor licences and sent four warning letters to driver examiners.

The province said it’s also targeting a misclassified driver scheme known as “Drivers Inc.,” where companies hire drivers as independent contractors to avoid payroll taxes and benefits. The drivers often lack proper training and oversight and are vulnerable to exploitation.

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