NORTHERN ONTARIO — NDP MPPs Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk – James Bay), John Vanthof (Timiskaming – Cochrane), and Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay – Superior North) released the following statement in response to the Ontario government’s announcement of new training requirements for commercial truck drivers:
“We welcome the government taking steps to strengthen commercial driver training,” said MPP Bourgouin. “But after years of concerns from Northern communities, professional drivers and families, these changes do not go far enough.
“The government says it will introduce training on northern, rural and remote driving. Northern drivers, communities and road-safety advocates need a meaningful seat at the table. Driving hundreds of kilometres through Northern Ontario in winter presents challenges that cannot be treated the same as driving in Southern Ontario.
“We also need greater accountability in commercial driver testing and certification. These tests should be administered directly by MTO, not outsourced to third-party providers.”
“We cannot talk about driver safety without talking about road safety,” said MPP Vanthof. “A well-trained driver is still at risk when highways and winter roads are poorly maintained.
“Northern Ontario needs reliable road and winter maintenance, stronger public oversight and a greater role for MTO. We need a comprehensive road safety strategy that addresses training, testing, enforcement, accountability and our roads.”
“The Auditor General was very clear in outlining 13 recommendations, yet this government continues to drag its feet on fully integrating them into its new training requirements,” said MPP Vaugeois.
“Mandatory training of 103 hours has been in place since 2017, so mandatory training itself is not new. The number of hours has also not increased, despite calls from the Ontario Trucking Association and others to do so. If new topics are being added, including northern highway conditions and human trafficking, what existing training is being cut to make room?
“An ‘integrity manager’ and spot checks alone will not address fraudulent training and testing. With hundreds of driving schools, DriveTest sites and trucking companies across Ontario, we need to know how many inspectors will be hired, whether they are properly qualified, and what consequences companies will face when they break the rules.
“Without meaningful oversight and consequences, these changes will not address the underlying problem. Ontarians deserve to know that commercial drivers are properly trained and that those who break the rules face real consequences.”