OTTAWA, Ont. — The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) says drivers requiring criminal waivers will no longer have to go to secondary inspection and pay US$6 every time they enter the U.S.

The clarification stems from complaints that drivers holding criminal waivers were being forced to be processed for an I-94 card at a cost of $6 every time they tried to enter the U.S. from Ontario. The drivers expressed concerns after being told they would have to go through this process every time they crossed the border.

The CTA has intervened and determined that all Canada-U.S. border crossings will now require drivers with criminal waivers to obtain an I-94 card only once every six months.

“Requiring drivers with criminal waivers to report to secondary every time they crossed into the U.S. would have been very disruptive to cross-border trade and the operations of land ports,” said CTA CEO David Bradley. “Secondary parking could have become problematic, causing delays for other vehicles crossing from Canada into the U.S.”

CTA surveys have found about three per cent of drivers crossing into the U.S. carry criminal waivers which must be presented to CBP inspectors.

“To require drivers who have received waivers to report each time to secondary to apply and pay for an I-94 made no sense,” said Bradley. “Treating them at least the same as those drivers who require entry visas is a far more reasonable policy, although questions of need could also be raised even at this minimal level.”