CHAMPLAIN, N.Y. — U.S. ambassador to Canada David Wilkins said this week that he doesn’t think a high-tech drivers’ licence will be accepted as an alternative to a passport in order to get into the U.S., despite the fact a pilot project that uses enhanced drivers’ licences was approved at the border between B.C. and Washington state.

According to Canadian Press, Wilkins threw cold water on the possibility the pilot could eventually replace the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)nationwide.

“We don’t know if that’s going to be successful,” he was quoted as saying. “There are others that want to do that, there are other provinces that have talked about it.”

Ontario is also considering adopting an enhanced, biometeric drivers’ licence.
Ron Lennox of the Canadian Trucking Alliance also expressed doubts about using a driver’s licence in that way.

The CTA has been lobbying Washington to allow truckers to use the highly secure FAST card in lieu of a passport at land ports. But so far, the U.S. hasn’t changed its mind as it pertains to truckers.

The Bush Administration is, however, working on designing a smaller, much cheaper passport for its own citizens.

The requirement for travelers to have passports at land ports is expected to take affect between January ’08 and June of ’09, Wilkins said.

— with files from Canadian Press