NS MLA tries marshalling in help for Marine Atlantic
NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. — A Nova Scotia MLA is proposing different levels of government come together to create a marshalling yard to support commercial traffic heading for Marine Atlantic.
According to a report in the Cape Breton Post, Cape Breton North MLA Cecil Clarke provided a guided tour of the area to Keith Ashfield, federal minister of state for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and Nova Scotia’s acting Progressive Conservative leader Karen Casey, to highlight Marine Atlantic’s ongoing traffic problems.
"Hopefully, the next step will be getting Marine Atlantic, ACOA, the province and the regional municipality to participate in getting the site plan and environmental work started," Clarke told the paper.
Clarke’s idea is to put in a marshalling yard in the general area of the North Sydney Community Forum and specific to commercial traffic. One of the MLA’s prime concerns is safety along Highway 105, where lineups of commercial traffic have created serious traffic backlogs.
Commercial traffic concerns have been front and centre with Marine Atlantic in recent weeks.
A recent decision to increase surcharges has led to an ongoing debate with the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association about the impact of increased charges, and a recent report from the Federal Auditor suggests the ferry service is unsustainable without serious changes to the operation.
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