OTTAWA, Ont. – According to Transport Canada, changes to the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations that will reduce the maximum daily driving time for commercial drivers and increase their minimum off-duty time have now been formally approved. The regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette Part II on Nov. 16, according to Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre.

“The Government of Canada is committed to continually enhancing the safety of commercial drivers and all other users of Canadian road and highway systems,” Lapierre said. “These new regulations will significantly enhance the current regime for truck and bus drivers in Canada, resulting in improved workplace safety and quality of life.”

The new rules will reduce the maximum driving time for commercial drivers by 19 per cent, from 16 to 13 hours, in a 24-hour period. They will also increase minimum off-duty time by 25 per cent, from eight to 10 hours. The new rules will also reduce daily on-duty time by 12 per cent, from 16 to 14 hours.

Transport Canada said these new regulations incorporate current scientific research on driver fatigue and reflect an agreement reached between Teamsters Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance in 2001. They are the result of public consultations and extensive cooperation between governments and stakeholders, in concert with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators. The regulations will continue to be enforced by the provinces and territories. The new regulations will be effective as of January 1, 2007.

The regulations will be posted on the Canada Gazette Web site on Nov. 16 at http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partII/index-e.html