Put the brakes on costly ‘security’ rules: ATA

WASHINGTON – U.S. carriers called for the federal government to slow down on "excessive, burdensome and duplicative security rules."

ATA Vice President of Security and Operations Martin Rojas told the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security that Washington would be better off working with the industry to identify security threats rather than cracking down on it.

“We don’t need more regulation, we need more cooperation," he said. "The private sector is an essential partner and part of the solution for combating terrorism."

Rojas told the subcommittee that in the decade since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks there have been a number of programs initiated to minimize the risk of another attack on U.S. soil that while "well intended . . . have resulted in a multiplicity of overlapping and burdensome security requirements on trucking companies."

Specifically, Rojas cited overlapping requirements associated with programs like C-TPAT and the port credentialing system, TWIC.

“Unfortunately,” he testified, “rather than augmenting the security of the transportation sector, the focus has been more on regulatory compliance than evaluating the impact of existing security requirements.”

In addition to limiting future security mandates, Rojas recommended Congress encourage information sharing between the public and private sectors; and improve coordination between federal agencies, many of whom already play a role in transportation security.