It's no secret that Richmond is the butt of driving jokes across the Lower Mainland.
Suffice to say, our motorists are generally a laughing stock when it comes to steering a trouble-free path; so much so that Twitter handles devoted to the phenomenon have sprung up. However, it's an unenviable tag that one man, Alberto Montoto, is determined to help the city erase when he launches his brainchild next month.
Called Moncar Simulators, Montoto is offering a mobile driving simulation service, unique to the Lower Mainland, in a bid to put a dent in the random acts of stupidity witnessed on Richmond's roads every day.
"The standard of driving in Richmond is terrible," said, Montoto, an IT specialist who immigrated from Cuba five years ago.
"There is so much distracted and unpredictable driving in this city and that's a concern for me.
"And when my son was preparing to get his driving licence, I realized there were no affordable options to learn in a simulator before hitting the real road."
Montoto - who said he was surprised Canada didn't have the same compulsory simulator program for learner drivers as his native Cuba - is hoping his idea gains traction with the likes of the RCMP and ICBC.
"The citizens need this and I think the RCMP and ICBC would appreciate drivers being more prepared for the road," said Montoto, who's just received delivery of his decaled van, which will eventually house his driving simulator when it arrives in a couple of weeks.
The Moncar Simulators' program will consist of 12 lessons, in various scenarios and will give each driver a print out of results after each lesson. Each 30-minute lesson costs $30.
The only roadblock in Montoto's path is his ability to be truly mobile, as the City of Richmond's business licence bylaws require him to apply for a new, $124 site-specific licence each time he parks up for a client.
He's now hoping to find one or two businesses in high-traffic locations where he can park semi-permanently and start steering new drivers in the right direction.
"I really believe I can help and, after seeing some people at the ICBC test centre in Richmond trying to park or even drive out of the centre, I think it can only get better," he added.
