B.C.鈥檚 transportation minister has issued the suspension of a trucking company鈥檚 safety certificate after one of the drivers hit a Lower Mainland overpass Thursday 鈥� the sixth hit for the company in two years.

Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd. will be unable to operate its entire 65-commercial vehicle fleet in B.C. as of 4:30 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 29), Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said in an emailed statement hours after the Delta crash.

Fleming added the driver and carrier responsible for the crash 鈥渨ill face the toughest fines in the country.鈥� The investigation could also lead to further action.

鈥淭his suspension is a result of the company鈥檚 unwillingness or inability to operate safely within the province, following its sixth infrastructure crash in two years,鈥� he said.

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According to the province鈥檚 , Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd. had other incidents on: June 6, 2022 on Highway 1 in Langley; June 1, 2022 on Highway 1 in Abbotsford; Feb. 17, 2022 on Highway 99 in Delta (the same over pass as Dec. 28, 2023); Feb. 12, 2022 on Highway 1 in Langley; and Dec. 10, 2021 on Highway 1 in Surrey.

The suspension is the first one since Fleming announced on Dec. 14 that the province will implement escalating penalties for companies and drivers with repeat offences, adding longer suspensions and possible loss of their operating certificate.

鈥淭his needs to stop. We know that the vast majority of commercial drivers in B.C. operate safely and responsibly. However, some operators are not getting the message.鈥�

For companies that have a history of non-compliance, such as previous infrastructure crashes, the province said enforcement measures will become increasingly severe. That includes suspension 鈥� like the one on Dec. 28 鈥� or possible cancellation of a company鈥檚 carrier safety certificate, essentially preventing their operation in B.C.

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鈥� With files from Kyler Emerson, Marla Poirier