CALGARY -- The owner of a trucking company involved in the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash appeared without a lawyer at his first court appearance Friday.
Sukhmander Singh of Adesh Deol Trucking was represented by duty counsel, who asked the matter be set over to Nov. 30.
Singh, 36, did not speak to anyone on his way into court in Calgary.
Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured in rural Saskatchewan when the Broncos junior hockey team bus and a semi-truck owned by Singh collided at an intersection last spring.
Singh faces eight charges relating to non-compliance with federal and provincial safety regulations.
There are seven charges under the federal Motor Vehicle Transport Act: two counts of failing to maintain logs for drivers hours of service, three counts of failing to monitor the compliance of a driver under safety regulations, and two counts of having more than one daily log for any day.
The eighth charge under the Alberta Traffic Safety Act alleges failure to have or follow a written safety program.
Court documents allege the offences occurred between Jan. 1 and March 31 -- prior to the fatal accident on April 6.
The maximum penalty for a federal hours of service failing is $5,000 per offence. The provincial charge carries a $310 penalty. A court can, however, use discretion to impose a penalty up to $2,000.
Alberta Transportation said Adesh Deol Trucking remains suspended.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 29, was driving the semi unit and was charged earlier this year with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Sidhu, who was not hurt, was released on $1,000 bail in July under condition he not drive and that he surrender his passport.
He is to be back in court in Melfort, Sask., on Nov. 27.
