VANCOUVER -- A British Columbia driving school is under investigation for allegedly helping truckers veer around the law to get their licences faster.
South West Driving Academy Ltd. allegedly offered forged trucking licence documents to its students, and helped them age the papers to look authentic, said Doug McClelland of the Insurance Corp. of British Columbia.
The Surrey school was named in the 108-page search-warrant application, filed by investigators with the ICBC. The warrant was executed on May 30 at South West's offices on 120A Street after more than a year of investigation, Mr. McClelland said.
However, no charges or sanctions have been laid as the investigation is continuing.
About 160 immigrants from India have allegedly obtained truck driver's licences using fake papers that state they have the mandatory three years of experience, according to the warrant application.
Paul Landry, president and CEO of the British Columbia Trucking Association, called the alleged acts a "slap in the face to the professionals in our industry," and unfair to others on the road.
"From the public's perspective, they have a right to be assured that people driving trucks have taken the necessary steps to demonstrate competence, and that the prerequisites are there."
When an undercover police officer approached South West posing as a truck-driving student, he was offered fake documents purporting to be from motor authorities in India and was told how to tamper them, Mr. McClelland said.
"It was a matter of folding it and unfolding it, spilling some coffee on it," he said. "Instead of having a crisp clean document that's one day old."
The owners of South West could not be reached for comment.
If found guilty, the driving school could be shut down by the ICBC, which regulates the industry. And, drivers convicted of forging documents could be criminally charged and forced to restart the B.C. graduated driver's licensing process.
To drive an 18-wheeler, commercial licence applicants must obtain a regular driver's licence, which takes three years. Then, they must prove they have a clean record for at least three more years.
With B.C.'s booming economy and the shortage of truck drivers, there's an incentive to speed up the process, Mr. McClelland said.
"There's a lot of pressure right now for people to get into the industry quickly," Mr. McClelland said. "Unfortunately people go look for short cuts, or there are unscrupulous people who try to sell short cuts."