CTA wants rebate program for anti-idling devices back in motion

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OTTAWA, Ont. — The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is calling upon the federal government to reinstate the department of natural resources Commercial Transportation Energy Efficiency Rebate (CTEER) program.

The goal of the program, which was in effect from August 2003 to March 2006, was to reduce unnecessary truck engine idling by providing an incentive to trucking companies to install auxiliary truck cab heating and/or cooling equipment. CTEER provided a 20 per cent rebate to trucking companies for the installation of pre-qualified auxiliary truck cab heating and/or cooling equipment.

Recently, the federal government announced that it was suspending funding of all climate change programs pending the development of a new made-in-Canada approach to reducing greenhouse gases and improving air quality.

“CTEER was an excellent example of a public-private sector partnership geared towards improving the Canadian environment,” says David Bradley, CEO of the CTA.

During the life of the program, the federal government invested $5.8 million in the rebate program, with the trucking industry investing $30 million. The return on the investment was substantive, more than 13,000 auxiliary heating/cooling systems were introduced into the heavy truck market eliminating on average 2,200 idling hours from each of the trucks equipped with the devices. This translated into annual emission savings from the trucking industry of almost 186,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases; almost 47 million grams of particulate matter; and over 4 1/2 billion grams of nitrogen oxide.

“These are significant results which we believe justifies the reinstatement of the program,” says Bradley. “CTA believes a somewhat higher percentage rebate (of say 50 per cent) would encourage even wider acceptance and uptake by industry, for relatively little investment on the part of the government.”

Bradley is hoping to meet with the Minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn, in the near future to discuss reinstating the program.

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