The newspaper The Press followed traffic controllers on patrol during a snow removal operation in Montreal. On Monday, March 6, he published an article with the title: “Far west in the snow”. The Association of Snow Removal Contractors of Quebec (AEDQ) does not want this wild west!
In the article by Philippe Teisceira-Lessard, we depict all the dangerousness of these snow removal operations. Of course they are! These are large machines to handle on roads with very complicated traffic conditions, which require great caution vis-à-vis motorists and pedestrians. The AEDQ is well aware of these issues and the risks involved.
The reality of snow removal also includes time and performance constraints. We must clear all the roads of Montreal as quickly as possible so that everyone can get around, take their vehicle and go to work properly and serenely; a useful service for all, then!
We believe it is important to remember that snow removal companies have commitments to keep to the City of Montreal, which requires high results in terms of performance, in contracts with snow removal companies.
In fact, based on “performance” snow removal estimates based on the achievement of results and compliance with the deadlines set for each operation, the contracting authority is responsible for ensuring that the service meets the needs described. Moreover, at each snow removal period, the City of Montreal communicates the percentage of progress of cleaning in the streets. This comes from GPS modules installed in snowblowers across the city. An additional pressure for the snowplows which also increases the impatience of the users…
It should also be noted that while the City of Montreal imposes safety signs on the side of each truck, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has recently decided to completely close arteries and ramps in sections during snow removal, thus forcing all traffic, including snow removal trucks heading to the spill sites, to use local lanes and streets.
Another incongruity to underline, the traffic controllers who – rightly – supervise and demand the proper functioning of the reversing alarms on all machines, while in the process the City of Montreal now defends the sirens which urge parked cars to withdraw. , which represents roughly 20 to 40 cars per team per night.
It is important to return in closing to accidents caused by snow removal operations. Indeed, despite certain unfortunate events and isolated cases of delinquents, we are not aware of a notable increase in accidents. There are accidents and, by definition, they remain accidents.
Despite all this, we are always ready to improve. We are in close consultation with our customers and we are at the disposal of the City of Montreal to discuss these subjects and possible solutions.
In short, the AEDQ does not want the far west! Its members simply want to do their job, with the aim of rendering a useful service to all, under conditions that sometimes prove to be complex.