Federal employees ran up nearly $20,000 in routine parking and traffic violations, records show. The incomplete figures excluded millions in violations by the two largest fleet operators, the post office and Department of National Defence..The federal government, in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons, said drivers of government-issue vehicles were fined $19,889 for improper parking, speeding tickets, red light camera offences and other traffic violations since 2016..According to Blacklock's Reporter, the figures were requested by Conservative MP Dan Albas (Central Okanagan-Similkameen, B.C.)..The defence department said it did not know the cost of its traffic violations. “The Department of National Defence does not centrally track information on traffic and parking infractions,” wrote staff. “Providing the requested details would require a manual search of over 80,000 driver records.”.Canada Post in a 2019 Access To Information filing said it paid almost $7.5 million in tickets over a ten-year period. The post office operates a 13,000-vehicle fleet nationwide..The Inquiry detailed a variety of policies by differing departments. The Canada Revenue Agency, Department of Fisheries and Department of Agriculture said they refused to pay for employees’ bad driving..“Drivers are personally responsible for all penalties from speeding, illegal parking and any other traffic violations,” said the agriculture department..However the finance department said it did not have any guidance for drivers. “The Department of Finance does not have a formal policy regarding who pays the parking and traffic ticket when it is unclear who committed the infraction,” wrote staff..The Bank of Canada said it investigated every claim. “Each situation is treated and assessed independently,” they wrote. “All factors of vehicle usage that led to an infraction are examined in the public interest. A decision is then rendered.”.Several federal departments indicated they did not know the value of fines run up by drivers of government-issue cars. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said it did not bother to check since they “would be required to conduct a manual search in employees’ travel claims.”.The Department of Foreign Affairs said all its records on traffic violations were stored at 178 embassies, missions and consulates in 110 countries. “The information required is not systematically tracked in a centralized database,” wrote staff.
