OTA supports Peace Bridge CVPC relocation; not MTO plan

TORONTO, (Aug. 12, 2004) — The Ontario trucking Association is siding with the Peace Bridge Authority’s (PBA) proposal to relocate the current Commercial Vehicle Processing Centre (CVPC), rather than a Transportation Ministry plan to build a new $10 million marshalling facility.

The PBA is proposing that the CVPC — which helps Canadian exporters get paperwork in order prior to their goods crossing into the U.S. — be moved from its current location at the base of the Peace Bridge to the full service truck travel centre located in the northeast quadrant of Gilmore Road Interchange.

OTA President David Bradley is stressing his support of the plan to Minister of Transportation Harinder Takhar. Bradley says the relocated centre will better help truckers prepare for Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements. He added that PBA ‘s plan to have FAST loads by-pass this staging area, when in operation, is another incentive to join the program.

To make his point, Bradley cited a June 2004 Transport Canada study, which also recommended the PBA authority’s proposal over the MTO Storage Yard recommendation. The report concludes that the PBA proposal would have less implementation costs than other alternatives, it would save MTO maintenance costs, and could be implemented within months.

The recognize that the Gilmore Road interchange would indeed have to be improved to accommodate future truck traffic growth, but Bradley says the cost would only be $2.5 million compared to $10 million for the truck-staging yard being pushed by MTO, he says

Bradley reminded the Minister that OTA has repeatedly made its opposition to the mandatory reporting of all trucks destined for the U.S. to designated marshalling yards clear on several occasions, but that OTA has never objected to the creation of an optional Custom’s preparation facility away from the border.

“Such a facility would no doubt assist drivers in preparing to meet new requirements imposed upon Canadian exporters by CBP and the FDA. The existence of such a facility could also serve to reduce the queue on the approach to international crossings,” wrote Bradley.