Quebec will not apologize to the victims of the Concorde overpass collapse in Laval, despite demands from opposition leaders who said the Liberal government owes them an official "sorry".

The call for an apology came as former premier Pierre Marc Johnson released his report on the Concorde overpass Thursday, which spread blame for the deadly Sept. 30 tragedy among engineers, constructions firms and the Quebec Transport Ministry for contributing to a "chain of causes" that led to the collapse that killed five and injured six.

Action Démocratique du Quebec Leader Mario Dumont and the PQ's Pauline Marois demanded Liberal premier Jean Charest offer an apology to the victims of the 2006 disaster.

Dumont accused Charest of being aware of the overpass problem and doing nothing about it, an accusation he made during the last provincial election in March 2007. 

The ADQ leader demanded to know why transport officials didn't act on an internal memo that warned of cracks in the overpass in 2004.

Charest brushed off Dumont's request, calling it an attempt to score points with the tragedy. 

The Johnson report also slammed what he called an unhealthy "internal culture" at the transport department, marked by careerism that allowed engineers to work side by side without ever questioning each other because they belong to the same union.

The report said the department operates with antiquated methods in which road plans and other important documents aren't computerized.
 
Charest vowed to act on recommendations in the report to ensure similar collapses don't happen in the future — but he said the government would not apologize.

'We've assumed our responsibilities:' Charest

"We've started to look after what was neglected," he said at the national assembly Thursday. "We've assumed our responsibilities."

The premier said his Liberal government is mopping up decades of crumbling infrastructure, which can't be fixed overnight. 

Quebec Transport Minister Julie Boulet said she's committed to changing the internal culture in her department.

She'll present her action plan Friday that is meant to follow up on recommendations from the commission, but would not say whether two engineers who the commission said lacked rigour in their overpass inspections would face sanctions.

Victims' families said they were pleased with the report but disappointed not to get an apology.

"I wanted someone to say 'we're sorry,'" said Maria Mercadante, whose husband Mohamed Ashraff Umerthambi broke his back when his van plunged onto the road below when the overpass gave way. 

He can no longer work, has to walk with a cane, and his business is finished, she told CBC.

The couple feel powerless given Quebec's no-fault insurance rules, which prevents victims from suing.

"You get angry, because you cannot even go after anyone. You're just there. Their law is the law, and you have to deal with it," she said after the report's release.

"That's what I really feel. That no one cares about what's happening to you."