April 15, 1999 6:42 PM, EDT

U.S. Needs Truck Safety Assurance

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The Clinton administration is working with Mexico to assure the safety of Mexican trucks operating in the United States, Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater said.

The administration has yet to authorize operating authority for qualified Mexican trucking companies that want to carry international freight into the U.S. under provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trucking rights were to be granted in 1995, but the administration has refused to abide by the trade arrangements, saying it wants to be satisfied that Mexican operators comply federal motor carrier safety regulations before it opens the borders.

"Safety is President Clinton’s highest transportation priority," Slater said April 13 while touring a border facility in Texas.

For the full story, see the April 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.