Trucking industry says Northern safety bill doesn’t go far enough
A private members’ bill seeking improved road safety in Northern Ontario lacks muscle, according to the Ontario Trucking Association. The organization claims the NDP-tabled legislation falls short of what’s needed to protect motorists on dangerous northern highways.
The bill calls for enhanced truck safety measures in the region, including 12-hour enforcement presence at the Thunder Bay scale.
“The bill announced this week by the NDP only calls for 12-hour presence, which will do little-to-nothing to stop the underbelly of our industry from continuing to put fellow road users at risk everyday along the Trans-Canada Highway,” said OTA president and CEO Stephen Laskowski.
Current Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria has already expressed support for 24/7 operation of enforcement scales throughout Ontario. He’s particularly interested in around-the-clock monitoring at the Thunder Bay location.
Beyond enforcement, the legislation addresses improved snow removal and maintenance on Highways 11 and 17. It also targets improvements to commercial driver training standards.
Sarkaria has taken additional steps, writing to federal transport minister Chrystia Freeland suggesting the highways are of national interest. The minister urged federal-provincial collaboration to establish shared funding that would maintain these routes to 400-series highway standards.
“The required focus on truck safety, training standards and the infrastructure prioritization of 11/17 are extremely important to OTA and the Ontario trucking industry,” Laskowski noted. “Success will require provincial leadership and federal cooperation.”
The OTA maintains that stronger enforcement measures are essential to meaningfully address safety concerns along these vital northern transportation corridors.