OTTAWA, Ont. – Transport Canada introduced a series of “short form wordings” to be used when enforcing Dangerous Goods offences, which allows tickets to be issued rather than a court summons, the Canadian Trucking Alliance reports.

Without the short form wording, tickets couldn’t be issued and enforcement teams had to get a summons to charge someone.

Fines are now standardized when a ticket is issued, and the process avoids “the long and costly summary conviction procedure” under the Criminal Code – as well as the threat of a related criminal record, the alliance notes.

The new process applies to cases of failing to use required or permitted means of containment (a $500 fine); failing to comply with means of containment safety requirements ($500); affixing or displaying a misleading dangerous goods mark ($500); failing to keep supply records ($500); and failing to report a loss or theft to a prescribed person ($1,000).

More details can be found at http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2018/2018-02-21/html/sor-dors19-eng.html.