CTA Wants Dedicated Border Minister
OTTAWA, Ont. – Shorter border wait times should not be interpreted as a sign that all is well at the Canada/US border, and in fact they may well be masking some serious underlying problems according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance.
CTA chief David Bradley took that message to Parliament Hill recently when addressing the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade. He said any improvement in border crossing wait times is simply a reflection of the economic slowdown and the reduction in cross-border truck traffic. Border processing times have not changed at all, he pointed out. He also told the committee that the ongoing “thickening” of the US/Canada border remains troublesome for the trucking industry. Bradley pointed out “that when the economy bottoms out, and we begin to see growth again, we will see a return to extended delays at the border.”
The CTA also called upon the feds to dedicate a Cabinet committee or a specific minister to border-related issues.
“Too many federal departments have had some stake or responsibility for some aspect of the border. We have found it a challenge just to find out who’s who and to get the different people working together,” Bradley said.
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