OTTAWA — In comments submitted today to the U.S. departments of State and Homeland Security, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) urged the Americans not to rush ahead with implementation of new document requirements on the land border until there is ample evidence that government and citizens alike are fully prepared for the radical changes along the Canada-U.S. border.

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), individuals seeking entry to the U.S. at land border crossings will be required to present a passport, or other document proving citizenship and identity, to US Customs and Border Protection. While the law allows this measure to be implemented as late as June 2009 on the land border, the Administration has targeted mid-2008 to have the new document requirements in place.

CTA believes there is a lot of work to be done before the U.S. will be in a position to implement the new requirements without disrupting legitimate travel and trade between the two countries.

“The Canadian trucking industry has never stood in outright opposition to WHTI — we fully understand why the U.S. is tightening up document requirements for all modes of travel,” said CTA Chief Executive Officer David Bradley in a press release.

“But at the same time, we must recognize that the economies of both countries are highly dependent on the reliable movement of trucks across the border. It is therefore imperative that measures adopted to implement WHTI do not negatively impact this flow. The U.S. government must take the time it needs to get this right, rather than holding itself to an arbitrary, self-imposed deadline.”

CTA says WHTI should not take affect at land ports until: “Significant passport backlogs have been cleared in the U.S. and Canada; there is no evidence of backlogs in FAST and NEXUS card processing; and any technology deployed in support of WHTI has been field tested.”

The enhanced drivers licence concept, which has generated interest among most border states and provinces, should likewise been deployed and tested, added CTA.

Bradley also reiterated his call that the U.S. ensure broad acceptance of the FAST card as a passport substitute for truck drivers; that the US government undertake an extensive awareness and outreach program; and that a transitional enforcement plan be developed to deal with individuals who arrive at the U.S. border without the required documentation.