Canadas national transportation system is among one of the most innovative in the world, but is a lack of national regulation hindering our ability to improve our systems?
Minister of Transport, Lisa Raitt, is calling for a third-party assessment of the Canada Transportation Act to shed light on how federal programs can support growth in all sectors and across provinces.
Our national transportation system has more kilometres of road per person than almost any other country. In 2012, roughly 2.2 billion people used commercial transportation in Canada. Federal regulations to improve the trucking industry would hardly be imprudent for a system that impacts so many.
This review comes at a critical time when we need, more than ever, a safe, efficient and clean transportation system to move goods and people, Raitt said.
The existing legislation addresses topics such as efficiency, security and sustainability, but does little to pinpoint one problem facing the nations trucking industry: lack of national regulation.
While the federal government has the responsibility to oversee extra-provincial motor carriers, the Motor Vehicle Transport Act (MVTA) delegates administrative authority to each province. It could be argued that conflicting legislation between provinces and lack of standardized regulations are holding the industry back from quickly adapting to changes in technology and logistics. Lack of responsiveness and clunky, mismatched legislation is no way to ensure safety and growth in the industry.
Raitt plans to address improvements that might be made in Canada’s transportation safety and environmental regimes, the role of technological innovation in improving transportation services and infrastructure, and the safe movement of goods through communities.
Improving the infrastructure of the trucking industry through national regulations could help to reduce accidents from driver fatigue, drug use, falsified log books and more.
At Greg Monforton & Partners, our Windsor injury lawyers advocate for change that is in the best interest of truck accident victims, because we know too well the devastating effects these events can have on the lives of the survivors and their families.
If you were hurt in a truck crash, or if you lost a loved one in a commercial vehicle accident, the lawyers at Greg Monforton & Partners are here to help.
Fill out our online evaluation form or call (866) 320-4770 for a free review today.