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Calgary Herald
14 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
These trucks weigh almost as much as a fully-loaded 747 jet — and no one's driving them
Article content Suncor Energy Inc. is escalating the rollout of its massive 400-tonne capacity driverless trucks, a move the company says will cut costs and improve safety, but it's also expected to eliminate jobs. Article content The company said Wednesday it plans to expand its autonomous fleet to 150 or more by the end of the year, up from just 20 trucks that were in operation in the spring of 2024. Article content Article content 'All the expected benefits, safety, direct cost, productivity . . . we are on track to see or achieve all of those, or more than we would have hoped for,' Rich Kruger, Suncor's chief executive, said Wednesday during a conference call on the company's earnings. Article content Article content Despite 'ongoing commodity price volatility' this spring, Suncor managed to collect nearly $1.7 billion in profits, up by more than $100 million from the same time last year. The company has also set records for production in each quarter of the past year, and returned $1.45 billion to its shareholders in the latest stretch. Article content When the Calgary-based company began rolling out its fleet of driverless trucks 2018, it said the move would eliminate 400 jobs overall, though Suncor also vowed to minimize the impact and retrain workers. Article content Suncor said its driverless fleet is the largest of its kind in Canada, deploying the hulking vehicles to some of its oilsands mines. Article content Article content The company has seen some efficiency gains and improvement in productivity as a result, according to Peter Zebedee, an executive vice-president. Article content 'We really see this as a strategic move for us. It helps us to improve safety,' said Zebedee. Article content Like other oil producers, Suncor is dealing with an uncertain economic backdrop. Oil prices ranged widely in a short window, averaging US$63.70 per barrel for the second quarter, a near US$8 dip from earlier in the year.
Globe and Mail
14 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Alberta targets predatory tow-truck drivers with exclusion zones, fines
Alberta's government is creating fines and rules meant to curb predatory tow-truck drivers. Starting Friday, there will be 200-metre exclusion zones around accident scenes for tow-truck operators, who must stay back unless police or drivers involved say otherwise or face a $1,000 fine. At a Wednesday news conference, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the government has heard concerns about tow-truck drivers showing up at car accidents and pressuring those involved to unnecessarily accept their services. In some cases, he said, tow-truck drivers have charged excessive fees and withheld necessary information from those whose vehicles were towed. 'The last thing someone needs at a collision scene is to be harassed by dishonest tow-truck drivers, pressuring them to agree to towing services,' Dreeshen said. 'These changes penalize bad actors in the tow-truck industry and shield Albertans from unethical practices.' Edmonton police Insp. Angela Kemp, speaking alongside Dreeshen, said the force has been aware of predatory towing for years. Kemp said it has been difficult to assess the scale of the problem, as police rely on self-reporting, but there have been more reports of it in recent years as people become aware. She gave two examples of police charging tow-truck companies. Police arrest 18 in Greater Toronto tow truck bust Extortions, arsons targeting South Asian businesses on the rise, Edmonton police warn In October, a company was charged with theft over $5,000 for allegedly refusing to release a vehicle it had towed unless it received a fee from an insurance company. In May, the owners of 10 towing companies were charged with fraud, Kemp said. 'During this investigation, police discovered that numerous tow-truck companies in Edmonton were reportedly fraudulently billing insurance companies for services that were not provided,' she said. 'Police also learned that these companies were allegedly inflating bills, including charges to insurance companies of upwards of over $5,000 for basic collision tows.' The government's new rules are nearly identical to a bylaw passed earlier this year by Calgary city council, though the city's fine can be up to $10,000. Dreeshen said the province's fine is lower because the government is trying to set a basic standard to ensure Albertans have the same protection. He said the government's rules are a first step and further measures could be taken, such as following Ontario in developing a mandatory code of conduct and certification process for tow truck drivers. 'The government of Alberta will continue working with industry and other stakeholders to explore additional solutions.'
National Post
14 minutes ago
- National Post
Court ruling declaring removal of bike lanes unconstitutional is 'ridiculous': Doug Ford
THORNHILL — Ontario Premier Doug Ford teed off Wednesday on a court decision declaring his law to remove three Toronto bike lanes unconstitutional, calling it the 'most ridiculous' ruling he has ever seen. Article content Ford has already said his government plans to appeal, even as it works on a compromise with the city to both keep the bike lanes and add extra lanes for vehicle traffic. Article content Article content He said he has faith that the Court of Appeal will overturn the lower-court ruling, but in the event it does not, he did not rule out using the notwithstanding clause to save the law. Article content Article content 'Let's see what happens at the Court of Appeals, and then we'll go from there, but I have confidence in the courts,' Ford said at an unrelated transit announcement. Article content Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas ruled the lane removals would put people at an 'increased risk of harm and death' and violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Article content He noted that the government had received advice from experts, reports from Toronto officials and evidence from the city and elsewhere that removing bike lanes 'will not achieve the asserted goal' of the law, to reduce traffic. Article content Ford made the removal of bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue a campaign issue during the snap election he called and won in February, and he says the judge's ruling tramples on people's democratic rights. Article content Article content 'This is the most ridiculous decision I've ever seen,' he said. Article content Article content 'I've never seen a decision like this, that a judge overrules the people of Ontario because of ideology — not because of law — ideology, but we knew when they picked this judge where it was going anyway, so it's not a big surprise.' Article content It's not the first time Ford has called judges' integrity into question. In April he blasted judges he perceives as being soft on crime, and floated ideas such as electing judges and offering them payouts to retire early. Article content
