The Manitoba government recently announced that it has developed a new standard for assigning safety ratings to companies operating commercial vehicles in the province.
“Our government is committed to road safety and ensuring that Manitoba’s commercial truck operators are rewarded for safe operations,” said Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler. “After reviewing the current provincial Safety Fitness Certificate (SFC) Program, our government has decided to update and modernize the assigning safety ratings system to better reflect recommendations from the industry and to better serve motor carriers.”
“The MTA has advocated for modernizing the assessment of safety ratings and are pleased to see improvements being made on this item,” said Terry Shaw, executive director, Manitoba Trucking Association. “Our industry members were pleased to provide input into the new process which will serve road safety while also reducing red tape. We applaud the changes and we look forward to ongoing communication regarding opportunities for road safety enhancement.”
The Manitoba government requires carriers to operate their vehicles in a safe manner and to comply with applicable highway safety laws and regulations that pertain to highway carriers in accordance with the National Safety Code (NSC). The NSC is a set of 16 standards developed by the member jurisdictions of Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), in consultation with the motor carrier industry, to ensure road safety and to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across Canada.
Changes to the safety rating policy aligns with industry advocacy and addresses recommendations included in the Office of the Auditor General report on Commercial Vehicle Safety. Using this policy, Manitoba will now assign a consistent safety rating to all carriers with a similar on-road performance record, regardless of historical audit status.
