Federal Red Tape Commission Releases Final
Report
Recommendations include several matters pertaining
to trucking
OTTAWA – The Harper government's Red Tape
Commission issued its final report today, titled 'Cutting Red Tape;
Freeing Business to Grow.'
The Commission is made up of a dozen MPs and business stakeholders,
including Denis Prud'homme, former owner of Prud'homme Trucking and past
president of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association.
The report reviews the burden federal regulations place
of Canadian businesses and highlights areas for potential reform.
In 2011, CTA along with its members appeared before the
Commission to recommend areas where reducing red tape can improve
business efficiency and job growth. (To read the submission the CTA made
to the Commission in 2011, click
here).
Key recommendations in report pertaining to trucking,
include:
● Eliminate administrative burden on small
businesses, Transport Canada implement plans to exempt small businesses
that use smaller trucks locally from the administrative requirements in
relation to hours of service (including the maintenance of
logbooks).
● Increase the uniformity in the enforcement
of the transport of dangerous goods regulatory regime and reduce
administrative burden, Transport Canada accelerate initiatives designed
to effect improvement in the consistency of application of program
delivery and their communication to regulated parties.
● Provide a predictable and uniform business
environment across Canada for the trucking industry and to reduce
current compliance burden and associated costs, Transport Canada engage
its provincial and territorial counterparts with concrete proposals to
advance the harmonization of regulations that pertain to the National
Safety Code (including hours of service). The department should aim to
eliminate unnecessary compliance burden on inter-provincial truck
commerce stemming from differences in regulatory requirements across
jurisdictions.
● Provide businesses with greater
certainty and predictability through reasonable timelines and service
standards, Transport Canada streamline its processing of exemptions
under the Motor Vehicle Transport Act.
To read Commissions' full report click
here.
Additionally, the Commission echoed many of the
initiatives already announced by the Harper government in the
recent Border
Action Plan, including harmonizing "trusted trader" programs with
the U.S., and reducing border wait times by improving programs such as
Free and Secure Trade (FAST).
CTA looks forward to discussing with Transport Canada
and other government departments regarding the implications of the Red
Tape Commission's final recommendations on the trucking industry.