Security Briefs - April 22 - April 28

This briefing can be e-mailed to you every regular business day. Just click here to register.

The Latest Headlines:

• Washington Said to Consider Large Truck Ban
• Canada to Increase Security Spending
• High-Speed Customs Lane Opens on Mexico Border

---

Washington Said to Consider Large Truck Ban

Officials in Washington, D.C. are considering banning large trucks from driving downtown near important buildings, other than the White House and Capitol, a local radio station reported.

According to a report on WTOP, the proposal is part of a study being conducted through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Dan Tangherlini told the station that while trucking was important to the city, security and the city’s residents need to be considered.

The goal is put a plan in place for June that probably would limit trucks to certain major roads, the report said. City officials said that one goal of the plan would be to reduce truck traffic on smaller, secondary roads in the District, better loading and unloading facilities should also be provided. Transport Topics

---

Canada to Increase Security Spending

The Canadian government unveiled plans Tuesday to shore up the country’s defenses against terrorism, the Canadian Press reported.

The plan calls for $690 million to be spent on marine security, increased intelligence gathering and improving responses to cyberterrorism and potential health emergencies, CP said.

The announcement, CP said, comes just days before Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin prepared to travel to the U.S. to meet with President Bush. Some in the United States have been critical of Canada for not doing enough in the fight against terrorism.

Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan said the plan was not a response to U.S. pressure, saying it was “very much a made-in-Canada security policy.” Transport Topics

---

High-Speed Customs Lane Opens on Mexico Border

A high-tech fast lane aimed at cutting border wait times for some trucks from hours to minutes opened April 15 at the United States’ busiest southern border port, the Associated Press reported.

Government officials are calling the lane on Laredo’s World Trade Bridge a Free and Secure Trade, or FAST, lane. Similar lanes also are planned by the end of the year at Otay Mesa and El Calexico, Calif.; Nogales, Ariz.; and Hidalgo and Brownsville, Texas, AP said.

Trucks eligible for the lane are cleared in advance. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner told AP that the program worked by assuring security at three points — the point of manufacture, the trucking company and the actual driver.

The manufacturers are already part of the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, under which the truck companies certify that they meet security standards, and the truckers undergo background checks.

More than 130 companies already have enrolled, including Sony Electronics, IBM and General Motors.

he Laredo crossing has approximately 1.2 million trucks crossing it each year, and as many as 4,000 per day, AP said. Transport Topics

Previous Security Briefs