New secure drivers’ licences causing hassles

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CALGARY, Alta. — Alberta has released a new, more secure drivers’ licence, but it’s causing problems for some cross-border truckers.

Since July 7, when the new licences were introduced, drivers have been required to turn in their licence when renewing it and then they’ve been provided with a temporary card with no picture and a statement that it is not to be used for identification. It takes about two weeks before drivers receive their new drivers’ licence in the mail.

Truckers who don’t have a passport or FAST card have been experiencing problems at the border, as the temporary card is not acceptable photo identification. It is illegal to provide a photocopy of an old drivers’ licence while waiting for the new one to arrive in the mail.

The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) is suggesting truckers avoid hassles by: obtaining a Canadian passport; obtaining a Canadian citizenship card; obtaining a permanent residency card; or obtaining a FAST card. The first three options can be exercised at any passport office.

Obtaining a FAST card will carry other benefits, with new FAST lanes slated to open at the Coutts, North Portal and Emerson border crossings this fall.

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