WINNIPEG, Man. — The Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) is warning that a plan to ban trucks on Provencher Blvd., in whole or in part, will hurt the province’s trucking industry and economy.

The city is looking to restrict truck access to the well-travelled roadway, in support of a handful of businesses, the MTA claims. Such a move would run counter to sound economic policy, the MTA contends. It could also jeopardize safety, by forcing truck traffic onto residential streets.

“There are hundreds of commercial vehicles that use Provencher Blvd. every day,” said Terry Shaw, general manager, MTA. “Some might suggest pointing this out might be helping the argument of those looking to ban trucks. We dispute that and are presenting this fact to highlight just how important Provencher is to the road network of Winnipeg. Provencher hosts over 27,000 vehicles daily, and only a very small fraction of which are trucks. Provencher is constructed and designed to be a truck route, it connects major business districts in Winnipeg, it also connects Winnipeg with provincial truck highways and it provides a crossing of the Red River. It only makes sense therefore that vehicles of all kinds will be found on it regularly.”

The MTA predicted a truck ban on Provencher Blvd. could cost Winnipeg businesses nearly $600,000 per year.

“While such a burden is obviously egregious, we question the need to even put forth such an argument,” Shaw said. “The simple fact is we are talking about a public roadway in Winnipeg. How is it acceptable that any safe and legal vehicle is being considered for discrimination based on the desires of a handful of residents?”