No national safety ratings system until at least 2001

OTTAWA — Provincial transport regulators and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators are huddling this week to decide how to proceed after tests of their various motor carrier ratings systems failed to produce nationally consistent results.

Last week, the CCMTA working group charged with developing a nationally harmonized motor carrier safety ratings system said it needs at least two more years to iron out inconsistencies among the jurisdictions.

“While some jurisdictions will have implemented the required elements of their carrier profile/rating systems in advance of January 2001, it is apparent that a nationally harmonized safety ratings standard will not be implemented prior to that date, and then only if the critical impediments are resolved,” a report from the task force said.

The group concluded that “the adoption of one single model to be used across Canada has been determined to be impractical due to various jurisdictional priorities, resources, jurisdictional investments, individual legislation in place … ”

The ratings methodologies were tested at a meeting in Winnipeg in late November.