The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has effectively shut down 39 trucking businesses in the wake of a crackdown on so-called Freedom Convoy protesters.
Responding to questions from trucknews.com, the ministry confirmed that 12 suspension and seizure orders were issued to Ontario-based large truck operators involved in the protests, suspending their operating authority throughout Canada, and issuing an order to seize all the plates registered to them.
Protesters from outside the province faced sanctions of their own.
Twenty-seven seizure orders were issued to large truck operators from outside the province, banning them from operating any commercial motor vehicle in Ontario.
The names of the sanctioned businesses, as well as the number of affected trucks, were not revealed.
“In an effort to preserve future police investigations into the illegal occupation in Ottawa, the ministry will not release the names of affected businesses at this time,” a ministry spokesperson said.
Plates were also suspended for 24 passenger vehicles from Ontario, and 34 passenger vehicles from outside the province.
Ottawa Police say 115 vehicles were towed during the protests.