ICBC has forfeited moral authority to monopolize our auto insurance

My first car was a 1965 Ford Galaxy 500 that was in outstanding mechanical condition and required only a paint job.

I took it to a nearby body shop run by a couple of bearded longhairs who looked like a pair of werewolves.

They assured me it would be ready in a few days, but each time I called there was a problem or excuse.

It was a full 10 days before I was finally able to pick it up.

She didn't quite drive right, and less than five minutes later stalled and wouldn't restart.

When I popped the hood, it was obvious that something was terribly wrong.

Much of the engine and cooling system had been replaced, and the compartment was a different colour.

Further inspection revealed that many other pieces and components were not original.

I went to the RCMP and, as luck would have it, the exact same officer I spoke to had coincidentally attended an accident 10 days earlier.

Apparently one of the wolf men drove my Galaxy the same day I dropped it off and got T-boned running a stop sign.

The car was a write-off.

But the hairy guy had it towed to his shop, where it was patched together with salvaged parts, as though nothing happened.

It turned out I was one of a long list of people ripped off by these guys, and numerous complaints had been filed.

They faced multiple criminal and civil court proceedings and were soon out of business.

I'm not sure whatever became of those two. But there's a good chance they shaved and ended up somewhere in ICBC.

It's been widely reported that ICBC has been running its own chop shop that repaired written-off vehicles for resale.

Even worse, it never informed buyers these were less-than-roadworthy wrecks that should rightfully be stacked in a scrap yard.

There is also documentation of falsified repair records, rigged auctions and other scams.

Making the whole thing stink even more, ICBC won't tell us who was involved or what happened to them.

At least the fellows that ripped me off were held accountable, and the consequences of their disreputable conduct became a matter of public record.

It's worth recalling that one of the rationalizations for the creation of ICBC was the allegation that private insurance companies were not treating motorists in a fair and equitable manner.

But here we are 34 years later, and ICBC is neck-deep in an ethical scandal of its own making.

Giving ICBC an absolute monopoly on basic auto coverage has been a questionable proposition all along.

There may be a few cases where government can more effectively provide a service than the private sector (although offhand I can't think of any).

But this definitely isn't one of them.

John Martin, The Province

Published: Wednesday, July 30, 2008

John Martin, a criminologist at the University of the Fraser Valley, can be reached at John.Martin@ucfv.ca