Police in Victoria, B.C., are raising concerns about a garage that's allegedly handing out passing safety grades to commercial vehicles that have no business on the road.
James Bay Service is now facing a government audit after police say it was caught giving defective commercial vehicles passing grade during mandatory safety testing.
The garage's mechanics allegedly okayed a limousine with a broken muffler strung together with wire and a tire that was bulging from the heat.
"You don't need to be a mechanic to see that something's wrong," Victoria police Sgt. Glenn Vermette told reporters as he displayed photos of the muffler.
"This is grad season, this is wedding season, and they expect that when they hire a limousine, that it's going to be safe."
Sgt. Grant Hamilton said that police also examined a taxi that had been inspected at the garage.
"Our officers impounded the taxi two days later, and after being driven only six kilometres, (we) had it re-inspected at a different facility. The taxi failed 11 of the 12 major categories," Hamilton said.
But mechanic Steve Orange said he hadn't finished his inspection before the taxi was released for the police inspection.
"I didn't stand a chance to do what I had to do on the car and I think that was totally wrong," Orange told CTV News.
"I should have had a chance to finish the car. I had no idea that from one day, when I came back the next morning, the car was going to be leaving for another shop."
He was fined $311.
Perry Dennis, district manager for the ministry of transportation, said that the government will be keeping a close eye on James Bay Service.
"It is absolutely not appropriate that they inspect vehicles and pass them if they're not safe to do so, and we will continue to work and look at this facility."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
