A recent survey by the Ontario Truckers Association has backed up what the Ontario New Democratic Party and others have already been saying about northern highways and the truck traffic that uses them.
NDP MPP John Vanthof said in a telephone interview that the survey was pointing out “many of the same things that we’ve been bringing up.”
The survey was circulated in the fall among truck drivers of both Highway 11 and Highway 17 and has now been released.
The response from 600 truck drivers shows the top problems they are observing are: unsafe passing by other vehicles (84.32 per cent); lack of truck rest areas (83.84 per cent); poorly trained truck drivers (80); lack of safe passing areas for trucks (79.84); and unsafe trucking fleets (65.12).
The top solutions truckers believe would address concerns are: more truck passing and climbing lanes (78.75 per cent); more truck rest areas (78.75 per cent); better trained truck drivers (78.57); more oversight of unsafe trucking fleets (70.21); and more heated washroom access for professional drivers (59.06).
HIGHWAY 11
Vanthof said problems on Highway 11 are worse in the winter because TransCanada truck traffic prefers that route over Highway 17 which experiences lake-effect snow and weather.
He said his office hears the horror stories about driving on Highway 11, and he sees them because he drives the road.
“This isn’t a political issue. This is an issue that transcends political divides,” he said.
“Many parts (of Highway 11) haven’t had any really major redesigns in a long time. The highway system is starting to show its age. You see trucks can’t pull over on the shoulder because they’ll never make it back on.”
He commented that it bothers him a little when he sees highway signs noting that fatigue kills and drivers should take a break, but there are few places for drivers to pull over when on Highway 11.
“The government is not following their own advice.”
“A LOT OF STRESS”
While it is known that increased driver training is needed for some truckers, Vanthof added that “there are very many truckers who are really conscientious and really professional.” But all truckers are being pushed to reach their destinations because they have electronic logs, he pointed out.
They may also be seeking a safe place to park and unable to find one.
“If there’s no place to park they’ve got to keep going until they can find a place to park safely and that puts a lot of stress on them and also on the people they share the road with.”
Vanthof agreed that some movement has been made by the province in bringing change to the problems with truck driver training but “overall there hasn’t been a lot of changes to address those issues. The driver training issue has been an issue for a long time.”
Vanthof said he has asked the Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria if they have made any movement on that issue and “we really haven’t heard anything on that.”
There have been several announcements that rest areas are coming, he said, and some existing rest areas have been opened for the winter months, but there has not been much movement on that issue.
The survey has provided an opportunity to convince the government that action is needed, he explained. As the official opposition, the NDP is hoping that it can unite its voice with the Ontario Truckers Association.
“We’re hoping that if we can unite that we will finally have the critical mass to make the government listen, because so far the political will from both the Liberals and now the Conservatives hasn’t been to fully address the situation that we’re facing on the TransCanada highway north of North Bay.”
He added that he thinks that “unless you’ve been on the TransCanada north of North Bay you really don’t realize what’s going on here.”
