Staffing a new truck inspection just east of Thunder Bay around the clock may not be realistic in the short term, but some sort of regular shift would be a good place to start, some provincial-election candidates and truck-safety advocates say.
“Even eight hours per day, with irregular day and night rotations, would make a big difference,” Thunder Bay-Superior North NDP candidate Lise Vaugeois, who is the riding’s incumbent MPP, said in an email this week.
The $30-million inspection station in Shuniah opened last year on the north side of Highway 11-17, but is in service on an intermittent basis only.
When truckers and other motorists drive past the stand-out facility, there often seems to be nobody on site.
The Ministry of Transportation has said that not maintaining set hours is an effective way of catching drivers of unsafe trucks unawares.
But some trucking associations have called for the Shuniah station to be in service at least 16 hours per day.
Thunder Bay-Superior North’s Conservative candidate, Rick Dumas, didn’t suggest specific hours of operation for the Shuniah station, but said if elected he would advocate for “expanding the operation of commercial vehicle inspection stations across our community.”
Liberal candidate Brian Hamilton has said the station should aim for a “24-7” operation, but said the province must also address other factors that impact highway safety, including adequate training for transport drivers. Vaugeois has taken a similar position.
The Green Party didn’t respond this week when asked about the operating hours at the Shuniah inspection station.
