The transportation and truck driving industries employ many people across Canada. A recent fatal collision between a truck and a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos team has influenced Alberta lawmakers to pass a new business law mandating driver training for new commercial drivers. The province’s Transportation Minister says the new regulation will be in place as early as Jan. 2019.
The legislative changes come as the result of charges being laid following the bus accident that left 16 people dead and 13 injured in rural Saskatchewan. The driver of a semi-truck coming from a Calgary-based shipper. He faces 29 criminal charges as a result, but the Transportation Minister acknowledges that business laws also have to be considered in the wake of this tragedy.
The rules of the new program will be developed through consultation with Albertans and industry representatives. Lawmakers hope to keep roads safe without impeding the business interests in the province. Proposed changes include removing the 60-day grace period for commercial carriers to operate while working towards safety fitness certificates. New legislation will mandate that that have all certifications prior to operating in Alberta.
Industry stakeholders have been publicly open to the changes, adding that they believe minimum standard training should be required to keep Alberta roadways safe. Once these new business law is passed, Alberta would become the second province after Ontario to mandate truck driving. Those who are involved in the trucking industry and wish to better understand the implications of this legislation should discuss this issue with a lawyer in the province.