DIEPPE, N.B. — The announcement of a new addition to the Marine Atlantic fleet has been welcomed by the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association.

“We trust this is the start of the complete replacement process for the fleet at Marine Atlantic. The trucking industry cannot stress how important this service is to the entire Atlantic Canadian economy,” said APTA executive director, Peter Nelson.

The new ship, which was previously on a run in the Baltic region, was commissioned on Thursday of this week in St. John’s, Nfld. The ship will be named the MV Atlantic Vision and has a capacity equivalent to 531 car lengths with 196 cabins and will carry a mixture of commercial and passenger vehicles. The ship was built in Germany in 2002.

Nelson added: “Marine Atlantic needs a great deal of infrastructure renewal and funding both in terms of ships and dockside equipment. Recent delays in service at Marine Atlantic caused by weather and equipment failure have shown the dramatic and rapid impact that can be had on the economy of Newfoundland and the rest of Atlantic Canada. We need to remember that when it becomes difficult and expensive for shippers, producers and manufacturers to move products to Newfoundland, this same group begins to rethink doing business in all of Atlantic Canada.

“The long haul trucking community firmly believes that when it comes to regional transportation issues and initiatives that we are all in the same truck, boat, and plane and train together. It is important that we continue to link and develop strong corridors throughout the region for transport. An important part of that corridor is the service provided by Marine Atlantic.  In congratulating Marine Atlantic on the commission of a new ferry we also would like to draw the attention of the provincial and federal governments to expanding infrastructure renewal needs to include Marine Atlantic,” he said.