OTTAWA — Proposed security measures requiring travellers entering the U.S. to produce a passport or related documents could exasperate current delays at the border and intensify the long list of costs already being absorbed by truckers, says the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

The trucking lobby group recently presented its submission to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which requires Homeland Security to implement a plan requiring a passport for travellers crossing the border into the U.S., including American citizens returning home.

But with at least 70,000 Canadian truck drivers crossing the border every year, and tens of thousands more American drivers crossing between both countries, CTA fears the delays the regulation would create could bring the border to a standstill and stunt trade since thousands of current drivers don’t have passports.

“CTA has no way of knowing how many Canadian truck drivers are currently in possession of a passport. We are told that within the general population, only about 37 percent of Canadians have a passport and an even lower proportion of Americans do, so the risk that this could add to border delays is real, not to mention the cost,” says CTA CEO David Bradley.

CTA is also concerned whether governments on both sides of the border would have the resources in place to deal with tens of thousands of individuals seeking passports. In Canada a passport costs $87.

In its submission, CTA recommends the following alternatives:

— The FAST card, which is only issued by the U.S. and Canadian governments following extensive criminal, immigration and customs checks. CTA has been for years trying to get the U.S. to accept the FAST card as a substitute for other security clearance requirements, such as the hazmat ID card, and the proposed Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC).

— A security-enhanced driver’s licence, in combination with a birth certificate, from drivers who do not possess a FAST card.

— In the case of non-commercial drivers a NEXUS card or security-enhanced drivers licence/birth certificate combination.

CTA has also suggested that significant lead time will be required to ensure truck drivers and other individuals can obtain the required documentation, and that there must be an extensive communications effort to ensure people are prepared.

“The choice of which document or combination of documents will be selected to meet the requirements of the (proposed rule) is of vital importance to the millions of individuals, including truck drivers,” CTA stated in summary. “CTA has sought to bring forward potential solutions that will respect U.S. objectives for enhanced security but at the same time not impose new costs or complications do for travellers and truck drivers alike.”