A group of Northern Ontario NDP MPPs is calling on the Ford government to restore responsibility for commercial driver licensing to the Ministry of Transportation, arguing the province’s trucking oversight has deteriorated to the point that other provinces are tightening their own rules in response.

In a joint statement, MPPs Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay–Superior North), John Vanthof (Timiskaming–Cochrane), Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk–James Bay), and Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) said Ontario’s current approach to regulating the trucking industry is compromising road safety.

“The Ford government continues to let Ontario’s trucking industry cut corners at the expense of road safety,” Vaugeois said, adding that the province should return commercial driver licensing to the Ministry of Transportation.

She also referenced calls from the Ontario Trucking Association for stronger oversight of the industry, warning that safety standards will continue to erode without changes.

Vanthof said Ontario’s oversight failures have become so significant that other provinces are changing their own licensing rules to protect road users.

“The Minister of Transportation needs to take this crisis seriously and bring licensing back under MTO before more lives are put at risk,” he said.

Quebec recently announced that Ontario Class A license holders with less than 24 months of experience who move to the province will now be required to pass a practical road test before exchanging their licenses. The measure was introduced following the Ontario Auditor General’s report that identified significant weaknesses in the province’s commercial driver training and licensing system.

Bourgouin said inadequate oversight has allowed unsafe operators to undercut responsible carriers while exploiting vulnerable workers.

“Governments have abandoned their responsibilities to properly oversee the sector, allowing unsafe operators to undercut responsible employers, exploit vulnerable workers, and leave families paying the price,” he said.

Mamakwa said Northern communities depend on safe transportation networks and urged the government to act on the Ontario Trucking Association’s recommendations.

“When governments fail to properly regulate the trucking industry, it puts drivers, passengers, and communities at risk,” he said.

The opposition’s comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of Ontario’s commercial driver licensing system following the Auditor General’s report, as well as calls from industry groups for the province to strengthen oversight of driver training, testing, and enforcement.