Media Clipping — August 20, 2001, The Halifax Herald ~ D. Tim Doyle

Hidden trucking costs

Letter to the Editor

It's a shame that Nova Scotia doesn't take the lead in environmental issues. We have already proven that we can be No. 1 at reducing solid wastes; we can surely do the same in other areas if we start to follow GPI practices.

Intermodal traffic should be increased where trains carry the heavy and dangerous loads across the country, and there should be a local system of short-haul drivers. While trucking does provide a lot of local employment, there are other costs that Ralph Boyd, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, doesn't seem to consider when comparing rail to trucks.

Consider that it isn't the truckers who pay for the roads; it's the taxpayers. Yet it is the truckers who destroy the roads, with one truck doing more damage than 1,000 cars. Railways pay for their own tracks.

Now consider the regulations. Railways are much more heavily regulated and the employees don't drive a train for days on end with no rest. Trucks do have a place in the transportation industry here in Nova Scotia, but it's about time someone took a long, hard look at what type of transportation systems we want in this province for the future.

I, for one, am tired of flat tires and broken windshields caused by your trucks, Mr. Boyd, and it isn't you who pays for that either.

D. Tim Doyle, Halifax

Copyright © 2001, The Halifax Herald