Editor: It now appears the 216 Street overpass as a heavy truck route is a done deal.
The Township of Langley mayor and council and administration have gone completely against the wishes of the citizens, against the best advice of experienced truckers for no good reason.
I’ve been in every aspect of the trucking business over 50 years. I will tell you a trucking company owner’s worst nightmare is a telephone call from a driver.
“Boss, a kid ran out in front of me and…” at this point the driver bursts out crying so bad, someone else has to take the phone.
It’s usually a police officer with the terrible news a child was run over.
It is not a matter of “if this will happen,” as a result of the 216 Street truck overpass, it is a matter of when a child will die. Kids are kids and big trucks can’t stop on a dime. It will happen.
When it does, the parents and school will be blaming the driver, the driver will feel huge remorse and probably accept most of the responsibility.
Those who are really responsible, the mayor and councillors of the Township of Langley most likely won’t even be on council, the administration will be “lawyered up” and insured.
But the child will still be dead, and the driver will feel guilty the rest of their life.
The mayor and council of the Township should hang their heads in shame for letting the citizens down. It is so unnecessarily and so avoidable.
Ted Campbell,
Langley