INDUSTRY NEWS
Saskatchewan rest ÃÃÕËÚòé ç¶ ÁÅðÅî areas lacking adequate Øð» ÓÚ ÃÔ±ñå» çÆ services, says poll ÕîÆ : Ãðò¶Öä Half of commercial drivers in Saskatchewan feel the condiÃÃÕËÚòé ç¶ Á¾è¶ ÕîðôÆÁñ âðÅÂÆòð» ù ñ×çÅ ÔË ÇÕ ê̯Çò³Ã ç¶ ÁÅðÅî Øð» Áå¶ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±àà çÆ ÔÅñå õðÅì Ü» ìÔ°å õðÅì ÔË, ÜçÇÕ ìÅÕÆ E@% tion of rest stops and pullouts in the province are of very low çÅ ÕÇÔäÅ ÔË ÇÕ ÇÂé·» çÆ ÔÅñå ìÔ°å õðÅì éÔƺ å» ìÔ°åÆ òèÆÁÅ òÆ éÔÆºÍ to low quality, while the other 50% say they are in neither high ÃÃÕËÚòé àð¾ÇÕ³× ÁËïÃƶôé (ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶.) Áå¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ Ãðò¶ î³åðÅñ¶ or low condition. ò¾ñ¯º ÇÂÕ¾áÅ ÕÆå¶ Á³ÕÇóÁ» ÓÚ ÃÅÔîä¶ ÁÅÇÂÁÅ ÔË ÇÕ âðÅÂÆòð ø°¾ñ-ÃðÇòà Data collected by the Saskatchewan Trucking Association’s ÁÅðÅî Øð» çÆ Ç×äåÆ ÓÚ òÅèÅ Áå¶ ò¾â¶ àðËÕàð-àð¶ñð Õ³ìÆé¶ôé» ñÂÆ (STA) Ministry of Highways Survey revealed drivers would like ðï¯× Ô¯ð Ç÷ÁÅçÅ ÁÅðÅî Øð» ù ò¶ÖäÅ to see more full-service rest areas, ÚÅÔ°³ç¶ ÔéÍ as well as more that are suitable for ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶. ÁÅêä¶ î˺ìð» çÆ ÃÔ±ñå ñÂÆ large tractor-trailer combinations. î³åðÅñ¶ ç¶ ï¯ÜéÅì³çÆ Áå¶ éÆåÆ ÇâòÆ÷é The STA has been working with the éÅñ ÇÂ¾Õ àð¾Õ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à Õî¶àÆ éÅñ Çîñ Planning and Policy Division of the Õ¶ Õ³î Õð ÇðÔÅ ÔËÍ ministry by way of a Truck Pullout ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶. ç¶ éÆåÆ ÃîÆÇÖÁÕ Ü½ðâé Committee to help steer things in the ÁËòðà é¶ ÇÕÔÅ, ÒÒêÇÔñ» ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶. ç¶ right direction for its members. ÇçÌôàÆÕ¯ä 寺 éò¶º î°ãñÅ ã»ÚÅ êÌÅÜËÕà» “In the past, from the STA’s perç°ÁÅñ¶ ï¯ÜéÅì³çÆ çÆ ÕîÆ, î°¾Ö å½ð Óå¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ spective, a lack of planning around ÇìÔåðÆÁ» ÕðÕ¶, ÃÃÕËÚòé ÓÚ ÕîðôÆÁñ new infrastructure projects, mainly ×¾âÆÁ» ñÂÆ ÁÅðÅî Õðé ç¶ î°ãñ¶ ã»Ú¶ ÓÚ highway improvements, has perÕîÆ Ô¯ÂÆ ÔËÍ ÃÅìÕÅ ÔÅÂÆò¶ î³åðÆ, ×ð¶× petuated the lack of resting infra- Drivers in Saskatchewan want to see more úàéìð¶à Ãî¶å ÃðÕÅðÆ ÁÇèÕÅðÆÁ» 寺 ÃÅù structure in Saskatchewan for com- rest areas and pullouts, as well as upgrades ÷°ìÅéÆ íð¯ÃÅ ÇîÇñÁÅ ÔË ÇÕ À°Ô éËôéñ mercial vehicles,” said Jordan Ewart, to the few that service the province’s truckÔÅÂÆò¶ ÇÃÃàî ù íÇò¾Ö çÆÁ» ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à policy analyst for the STA. ing industry. Photo: iStock On top of the priority list is adding ÃÃÕËÚòé ÓÚ âðÅÂÆòð Ç÷ÁÅçÅ Ç×äåÆ ÓÚ ÁÅðÅî Øð ÃÔ±ñå» ñÂÆ ÇìÔåð Õðé ç¶ ðÅÔ ñ¾íä׶ÍÓÓ Ãí 寺 Ç÷ÁÅçÅ åðÜÆÔ ÔÅÂÆò¶ A Óå¶ Ô¯ð more rest areas and pullouts along Áå¶ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à ò¶ÖäÅ ÚÅÔ°³ç¶ Ôé, éÅñ ÔÆ ê̯Çò³Ã ç¶ àð¾ÇÕ³× the Hwy 1, specifically at the Alberta À°çï¯× çÆ Ã¶òÅ Õð ðÔ¶ Õ°¾Þ ÁÅðÅî Øð» ù Áê×ð¶â ÁÅðÅî Øð» Áå¶ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à ù ÃæÅêå Õðé ñÂÆ Çç¾åÆ ÜÅ ðÔÆ ÔË, Çòô¶ô Õð Õ¶ ÁñìðàÅ and Manitoba borders. ÕðòÅÀ°äÅ ÚÅÔ°³ç¶ ÔéÍ åÃòÆð: ÁÅÂÆÃàÅÕ Áå¶ î¶éÆà¯ìÅ çÆÁ» Ô¾ç» Óå¶Í Hwy 7 near Alberta is also in need ÁñìðàÅ é¶ó¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ G Óå¶ òÆ ÁÅðÅî Øð» of rest stop improvements, as well as ù ÇìÔåð ìäÅÀ°ä çÆ ÷ð±ðå ÔË, éÅñ ÔÆ ìËàñø¯ðâ Áå¶ À°μåðÆ ìËàñø¯ðâ near Battleford and North Battleford, northwest of Saskatoon. é¶ó¶, ÃÃÕÅà±é ç¶ À°μåð-ê¾Ûî ÓÚÍ Work has been done on the southbound truck inspection and ð¶ÜÅÂÆéÅ ç¶ À°μåð ÓÚ ÔÅÂÆò¶ F Óå¶ ç¾Öä ò¾ñ ÜÅ ðÔ¶ àð¾Õ Ü»Ú Áå¶ pullout area on Hwy 6 north of Regina. ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à Ö¶åð ÓÚ Õ³î ÕÆåÅ ÜÅ ÇðÔÅ ÔËÍ But more is needed. êð Áܶ òÆ ìÔ°å Õ°¾Þ Õðé çÆ ÷ð±ðå ÔËÍ Doug Wakabayashi is the executive director of communiâ¾× òÅÕÅìÅïÅôÆ ÃÃÕËÚòé ç¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ Áå¶ î°ãñÅ ã»ÚÅ î³åðÅñ¶ ñÂÆ cations and customer service for Saskatchewan’s Ministry of óÚÅð Áå¶ ×ÌÅÔÕ Ã¶òÅ ç¶ ÕÅðÜÕÅðÆ âÅÇÂðËÕàð Ôé, Áå¶ À°é·» ÇÕÔÅ ÇÕ àð¾Õ Highways and Infrastructure, and he said the Truck Pullout ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à Õî¶àÆ, ÇÜà ù ç¯ ÃÅñ êÇÔñ» ìäÅÇÂÁÅ Ç×ÁÅ ÃÆ, é¶ ÕîðôÆÁñ Committee, which was formed two years ago, has identified âðÅÂÆòð» ñÂÆ ÁÅðÅî Øð» Áå¶ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à ÓÚ ÕîÆÁ» çÅ ÕÅðé ñ¾í ÇñÁÅ ÔËÍ where the gaps are when it comes to rest stops and pullouts for À°é·» ÇÕÔÅ ÇÕ âðÅÂÆòð» ù ìÔ°å ؾà î½Õ¶ Çîñç¶ Ôé ÇÕ À°Ô ê̯Çò³Ã ç¶ commercial drivers. éËôéñ ÔÅÂÆò¶ ÇÃÃàî éÅñ ìä¶ ÁÅðÅî Øð» ÓÚ Ã°ð¾ÇÖÁå åðÆÕ¶ éÅñ ð°Õ He said there are few opportunities for drivers to safely pull ÃÕäÍ over at a rest stop along the province’s national highway system. Ewart said several STA members have voiced concern about ÁËòðà é¶ ÇÕÔÅ ÇÕ ÕÂÆ ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶. î˺ìð» é¶ ÃÃÕËÚòé ÓÚ ÁÅðÅî Øð» the current state of rest areas in Saskatchewan. And when takçÆ ÔÅñå Óå¶ ÇÚ³åÅ êÌ×à ÕÆåÆ ÔËÍ Ü¶Õð ÇÂÔ ò¶ÇÖÁÅ ÜÅò¶ ÇÕ Õ¯Çòâ-AI ing into consideration what drivers have been going through on ç½ðÅé âðÅÂÆòð» ù í¯Üé Áå¶ êÖÅé¶ òð×ÆÁ» ÷ð±ðÆ Ã¶òÅò» òÆ éÅ Çîñä the front lines during Covid-19, such as being denied access to òð׶ ÔÅñÅå çÅ ÃÅÔîäÅ ÕðéÅ ÇêÁÅ å» ÇÂÔ ÷ð±ðå Ô¯ð òÆ ò¾âÆ ìä essential services like food and washrooms, the need becomes Ü»çÆ ÔËÍ more magnified.
26 APRIL 2021
ROADTODAY.COM
