NLIS 2
March 29, 2004
(Government Services)

 

The following statement was issued today by Dianne Whalen , Minister of Government Services. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Minister discusses highway safety enforcement

I rise today to update this House on the measures taken by my officials to enforce highway safety in this province.

This department has shown it is serious when it comes to ensuring the vehicles traveling on the province�s highways meet National Safety Code Standards.

In December, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles suspended the privileges of two companies to operate trucks on provincial highways. The impact of the two suspensions has been considerable. It has resulted in carriers improving their safety measures and requesting information on how to become compliant.

Government has since agreed to a staggered release of vehicles in the case of one of the two suspended companies. The company provided the registrar with a detailed safety plan and demonstrated a willingness to follow it. The company has also hired a safety officer to implement the plan.

I am pleased to inform this House that the company has cooperated with the Registrar and additional vehicles will soon be released as part of the mutually-agreed upon arrangement.

Highway safety is a high priority of this government. The Motor Registration Division is undertaking broader investigations of carriers and inspection stations based on the results of routine inspections and official complaints.

As a result of this crackdown, a number of charges have been laid against official inspection stations for issuing certified inspection slips without properly inspecting the vehicles. We�re also publicizing the actions we�ve taken to send a message that our staff are out there enforcing the law.

This government is committed to working with commercial carriers to ensure the province�s highways are safe.

2004 03 29                                        1:55 p.m.


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