Yesterday marked the beginning of a three day North American roadcheck blitz for the commercial trucking and motorcoach bus industries. Continuing through to Thursday, enforcement officers with our Motor Registration Division are joining local police forces in 12-hour shifts to check compliance of trucks, buses and their drivers with road safety rules.

Enforcement officers in Canada, the United States and Mexico have set up more than 1,500 locations to conduct comprehensive roadside inspections. Officers are looking for mechanical deficiencies, overweight vehicles, unsecured loads and general driver errors such as seat belt violations.

Although enforcement activities take place every day on our roads and highways, this blitz raises awareness of how important it is for all vehicles to operate safely. This campaign places the spotlight on commercial vehicle safety and on the thousands of highly-trained professional inspectors and officers across North America who help ensure that motorists on our highways reach their destinations safely.

The Department of Government Services is responsible for ensuring that commercial traffic using our roads and highways comply with weight and dimension regulations, are being operated by qualified and safe drivers, and that the vehicles transporting cargo and passengers in this province are mechanically fit and comply with federal and provincial legislation. These roadside inspections of commercial vehicles are conducted in accordance with nationally developed inspection criteria.

Our government has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving our highways. As a part of Budget 2010, the Department of Government Services and the Department of Transportation and Works will establish a new fixed weigh scale in Labrador, to be located at the Labrador West end of the Trans Labrador Highway. Six new weigh scale inspectors will be hired to staff this weigh scale and conduct portable scale patrols.