VICTORIA, B.C. — After initially coming out in favour of a “jail” for unsafe trucks, B.C. Minister of Transportation Kevin Falcon has now nixed the idea, according to a story today in the Vancouver Province.

Falcon says an upcoming report on truck safety won’t recommend impounding unsafe vehicles for a minimum of 30 days.

“Staff said it wasn’t a great idea. They cooled to it,” he told the newspaper.

The idea for a “jail” came up last year after a targeted roadside check in Delta failed 41% of commercial vehicles tested. In January 2008, Falcon said he liked the idea of putting flagrantly unsafe rigs in “jail.” The B.C. Trucking Association, which was part of the committee that wrote the report, recommended impounding repeat offenders’ rigs. Association vice-president Louise Yako said a 30-day impoundment “actually means something.”

Falcon said roadside tests in the past year show the problem is decreasing. Targeted enforcement checks show declining failure rates in West Vancouver (52% failed in early 2008, compared to 34% later in the year) and Delta (41% vs. 35%). Failure rates have held steady in Surrey at about 26%.