MTO fines road maintenance contractors in northeastern Ont.

The Ministry of Transportation says all contractors who deal with winter road maintenance in northeastern Ontario have been fined.

The ministry said there are four contractors that provide maintenance in five areas of the region.

Spokesperson Louise Cantin saidthe ministry has seen non-conformance to its targets in all five maintenance areas, leading to all four contractors being fined.

The ministry monitors its contractorsthrough the use of automated vehicle locators, equipment and route times, Cantin said in an e-mail to CBC.

She added that snow accumulation, time to achieve bare pavement conditions, radio logs and police call reports are also looked at to make sure ministry standards are met.

The amount of the fines was not released, as Cantin said it'sis a contractual matter between the ministry and the contractor.

In northwestern Ontario, the ministry saidthree contractors have been fined.