TRUCKING ADVISORY FORUM CREATED

Released on October 27, 2000

Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation has created a Trucking Advisory Forum

to get broad input from the public, shippers, business, carriers and industry

on provincial trucking issues.



The forum will address many issues including improved safety and the economic

benefits of trucking on the province.



"We want to review trucking programs to ensure existing programs are meeting

the purposes for which they were created. We need programs and policies to

take us forward and we have created this forum so the people most directly

affected by trucking policies will have input to the direction of future

policies," Highways and Transportation Minister Maynard Sonntag said.



Participants include the Saskatchewan Safety Council, the Assocation of

Northern Communities, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Saskatchewan,

the Saskatchewan Trucking Association, Area Transportation Planning Committees

(ATPCs), University of Saskatchewan, Canadian Industrial Transportation

Association (CITA), Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, SUMA, SARM and Canadians

Responsible for Responsible and Safe Highways (CRASH), SGI, as well as from

various government departments. In total 16 persons will participate on the

Trucking Advisory Forum.



The inaugural Trucking Advisory Forum meeting was held at the Best Western

Seven Oaks Inn on Friday, October 27. Forum participants themselves will

determine how many others forum meetings will be needed, though it is

anticipated three or four meetings will be held before the end of this year. A

final report will be completed in May 2001.



"The people of Saskatchewan will be pleased to see the Department of Highways

and Transportation is addressing issues in a timely manner that are important

to all road users," Maureen Murray, CAA Saskatchewan, said.



"The scope of participation in the forum indicates that we have the best chance

of finding objectives and fair solutions," said James Nolan, Transportation

Chair, Department of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan.



The role of the Trucking Advisory Forum is to provide opinions and views on

trucking policies; review current policies for applicability and that they meet

original intent; and, provide opportunity for input. That input will be used

to develop future provincial trucking policies.



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For more information, contact



Greg Gilks

Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation

Regina

Phone: (306)787-4851