Saskatchewan rest areas

Saskatchewan rest areas lacking adequate services, says poll

ÃÃÕËÚòé ç¶ ÁÅðÅî Øð» ÓÚ ÃÔ±ñå» çÆ ÕîÆ : Ãðò¶Öä

Half of commercial drivers in Saskatchewan feel the condi- ÃÃÕËÚòé ç¶ Á¾è¶ ÕîðôÆÁñ âðÅÂÆòð» ù ñ×çÅ ÔË ÇÕ ê̯Çò³Ã ç¶ ÁÅðÅî tion of rest stops and pullouts in the province are of very low Øð» Áå¶ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±àà çÆ ÔÅñå õðÅì Ü» ìÔ°å õðÅì ÔË, ÜçÇÕ ìÅÕÆ E@% to low quality, while the other 50% say they are in neither high çÅ ÕÇÔäÅ ÔË ÇÕ ÇÂé·» çÆ ÔÅñå ìÔ°å õðÅì éÔƺ å» ìÔ°åÆ òèÆÁÅ òÆ éÔÆºÍ or low condition. ÃÃÕËÚòé àð¾ÇÕ³× ÁËïÃƶôé (ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶.) Áå¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ Ãðò¶ î³åðÅñ¶

Data collected by the Saskatchewan Trucking Association’s ò¾ñ¯º ÇÂÕ¾áÅ ÕÆå¶ Á³ÕÇóÁ» ÓÚ ÃÅÔîä¶ ÁÅÇÂÁÅ ÔË ÇÕ âðÅÂÆòð ø°¾ñ-ÃðÇòà (STA) Ministry of Highways Survey revealed drivers would like ÁÅðÅî Øð» çÆ Ç×äåÆ ÓÚ òÅèÅ Áå¶ ò¾â¶ àðËÕàð-àð¶ñð Õ³ìÆé¶ôé» ñÂÆ to see more full-service rest areas, ðï¯× Ô¯ð Ç÷ÁÅçÅ ÁÅðÅî Øð» ù ò¶ÖäÅ as well as more that are suitable for ÚÅÔ°³ç¶ ÔéÍ large tractor-trailer combinations. ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶. ÁÅêä¶ î˺ìð» çÆ ÃÔ±ñå ñÂÆ

The STA has been working with the î³åðÅñ¶ ç¶ ï¯ÜéÅì³çÆ Áå¶ éÆåÆ ÇâòÆ÷é Planning and Policy Division of the éÅñ ÇÂ¾Õ àð¾Õ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à Õî¶àÆ éÅñ Çîñ ministry by way of a Truck Pullout Õ¶ Õ³î Õð ÇðÔÅ ÔËÍ Committee to help steer things in the ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶. ç¶ éÆåÆ ÃîÆÇÖÁÕ Ü½ðâé right direction for its members. ÁËòðà é¶ ÇÕÔÅ, ÒÒêÇÔñ» ÁËÃ.àÆ.¶. ç¶

“In the past, from the STA’s per- ÇçÌôàÆÕ¯ä 寺 éò¶º î°ãñÅ ã»ÚÅ êÌÅÜËÕà» spective, a lack of planning around ç°ÁÅñ¶ ï¯ÜéÅì³çÆ çÆ ÕîÆ, î°¾Ö å½ð Óå¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ new infrastructure projects, mainly ÇìÔåðÆÁ» ÕðÕ¶, ÃÃÕËÚòé ÓÚ ÕîðôÆÁñ highway improvements, has per- ×¾âÆÁ» ñÂÆ ÁÅðÅî Õðé ç¶ î°ãñ¶ ã»Ú¶ ÓÚ petuated the lack of resting infra- Drivers in Saskatchewan want to see more ÕîÆ Ô¯ÂÆ ÔËÍ ÃÅìÕÅ ÔÅÂÆò¶ î³åðÆ, ×ð¶× structure in Saskatchewan for com- rest areas and pullouts, as well as upgrades úàéìð¶à Ãî¶å ÃðÕÅðÆ ÁÇèÕÅðÆÁ» 寺 ÃÅù mercial vehicles,” said Jordan Ewart, to the few that service the province’s truck- ÷°ìÅéÆ íð¯ÃÅ ÇîÇñÁÅ ÔË ÇÕ À°Ô éËôéñ policy analyst for the STA. ing industry. Photo: iStock ÔÅÂÆò¶ ÇÃÃàî ù íÇò¾Ö çÆÁ» ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à

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 more rest areas and pullouts along Áå¶ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à ò¶ÖäÅ ÚÅÔ°³ç¶ Ôé, éÅñ ÔÆ ê̯Çò³Ã ç¶ àð¾ÇÕ³× Ãí 寺 Ç÷ÁÅçÅ åðÜÆÔ ÔÅÂÆò¶ A Óå¶ Ô¯ð 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 and Manitoba borders. ÕðòÅÀ°äÅ ÚÅÔ°³ç¶ ÔéÍ åÃòÆð: ÁÅÂÆÃàÅÕ ñÂÆ Çç¾åÆ ÜÅ ðÔÆ ÔË, Çòô¶ô Õð Õ¶ ÁñìðàÅ

Hwy 7 near Alberta is also in need Áå¶ î¶éÆà¯ìÅ çÆÁ» Ô¾ç» Óå¶Í of rest stop improvements, as well as ÁñìðàÅ é¶ó¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ G Óå¶ òÆ ÁÅðÅî Øð» near Battleford and North Battleford, northwest of Saskatoon. ù ÇìÔåð ìäÅÀ°ä çÆ ÷ð±ðå ÔË, éÅñ ÔÆ ìËàñø¯ðâ Áå¶ À°μåðÆ ìËàñø¯ðâ

Work has been done on the southbound truck inspection and é¶ó¶, ÃÃÕÅà±é ç¶ À°μåð-ê¾Ûî ÓÚÍ pullout area on Hwy 6 north of Regina. ð¶ÜÅÂÆéÅ ç¶ À°μåð ÓÚ ÔÅÂÆò¶ F Óå¶ ç¾Öä ò¾ñ ÜÅ ðÔ¶ àð¾Õ Ü»Ú Áå¶

But more is needed. ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à Ö¶åð ÓÚ Õ³î ÕÆåÅ ÜÅ ÇðÔÅ ÔËÍ

Doug Wakabayashi is the executive director of communi- êð Áܶ òÆ ìÔ°å Õ°¾Þ Õðé çÆ ÷ð±ðå ÔËÍ cations and customer service for Saskatchewan’s Ministry of â¾× òÅÕÅìÅïÅôÆ ÃÃÕËÚòé ç¶ ÔÅÂÆò¶ Áå¶ î°ãñÅ ã»ÚÅ î³åðÅñ¶ ñÂÆ Highways and Infrastructure, and he said the Truck Pullout óÚÅð Áå¶ ×ÌÅÔÕ Ã¶òÅ ç¶ ÕÅðÜÕÅðÆ âÅÇÂðËÕàð Ôé, Áå¶ À°é·» ÇÕÔÅ ÇÕ àð¾Õ Committee, which was formed two years ago, has identified ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à Õî¶àÆ, ÇÜà ù ç¯ ÃÅñ êÇÔñ» ìäÅÇÂÁÅ Ç×ÁÅ ÃÆ, é¶ ÕîðôÆÁñ where the gaps are when it comes to rest stops and pullouts for âðÅÂÆòð» ñÂÆ ÁÅðÅî Øð» Áå¶ ê°¾ñÁÅÀ±à ÓÚ ÕîÆÁ» çÅ ÕÅðé ñ¾í ÇñÁÅ ÔËÍ commercial drivers. À°é·» ÇÕÔÅ ÇÕ âðÅÂÆòð» ù ìÔ°å ؾà î½Õ¶ Çîñç¶ Ôé ÇÕ À°Ô ê̯Çò³Ã ç¶

He said there are few opportunities for drivers to safely pull éËôéñ ÔÅÂÆò¶ ÇÃÃàî éÅñ ìä¶ ÁÅðÅî Øð» ÓÚ Ã°ð¾ÇÖÁå åðÆÕ¶ éÅñ ð°Õ over at a rest stop along the province’s national highway system. ÃÕäÍ

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 tak- çÆ 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.