New bridge crossing rates will take their toll on Atlantic truckers: APTA

DIEPPE, N.B. — The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association says it’s shocked by the Confederation Bridge’s recent announcement to raise tolls for truckers as much as 20 percent.

The new toll structure, which goes into effect Jan. 1st, 2006, will see one of the most common tractor-trailer configurations (6 Axle) paying $11.00 more per crossing.

APTA New Brunswick vice-chair Shane Esson says truckers are already facing a myriad of escalating costs such as fuel, insurance, and equipment. The association wants Transport Canada to reconsider its decision to approve this rate structure.

“The new rate structure that Strait Crossing has arrived at is unfairly targeting the trucking industry and is geared for generating additional revenues at our expense. An increase of 7.5 percent for 5 axle vehicles and 19.4 percent for 6 axles is totally unacceptable,” he says.

“The majority of stakeholders believed this would have a very positive impact on tourism and the bus industry, will not impact the majority of traffic traveling by car, and will maintain fairness for the trucking industry,” Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre states in a press release.

However, buses instead drop by 79.6 percent for 3 axles and 82.5 percent for 2 axles. Recreational vehicle rates and van rates also decrease by 12.7 percent.

The APTA says it’s unfair for the trucking industry to have to subsidize tourism in Prince Edward Island. “In order to survive, trucking companies are already passing on fuel surcharges of over 20 percent, so you can imagine the difficulty of informing your customer that they will have to cover another cost with a toll increase of 19.4 percent” says John MacLean, APTA vice-chair for Prince Edward Island.

“Unfortunately, the trucking industry can not afford to absorb another cost so it will be the farmers and the manufacturers of PEI that will suffer the most,” he adds.