Canadian government releasing route planning app in desperate attempt to prevent more bridge strikes

A Canadian government is releasing a trip planning app in an attempt to prevent any more bridge strikes in Alberta. 

The app – dubbed The Canadian Trucking Regulations Hub – will be released on April 22nd in both English and French for drivers hauling loads through Alberta, Canada. 

According to the Alberta Government website, the app will feature “jurisdictional comparisons, route planning, permit information and vehicle configuration details.”

“We want to make sure that there’s at least a greater awareness, but also give a tool to the industry so that we can hopefully reduce or ultimately eliminate bridge strikes that we’re seeing a high number [of],” said Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen in an interview with CBC News.

The app will initially only showcase information on Alberta, but will eventually host information from all Canadian provinces. The app will even absorb all information already presented by British Columbia’s route planning tool. The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators plans to take over management of the app later this year. 

Canadian officials and truck drivers say the app is a step in the right direction, but warn that the government will need to stay on top of the app and keep it updated for it to be of any real use to drivers. 

“There’s a lot of poor training going on out there and there’s a lot of guys pulling flat decks that are just being sent down the road … just being told to go figure it out,” said Canadian truck driver Tony Jackson. “So they go off down the road and they hit a bridge and then we all look like morons.”

“It will have to be a tool that the government will have to put some resources into … It has to be up to date, accurate, fast, useful. It can’t just be something put out there to say, ‘Oh, look what we’re doing.’ And then everybody goes and uses it and says, ‘This is garbage.’”

Canadian officials hope that this tool will help prevent further unnecessary infrastructure damage.