Vancouver Port Plans Stricter Truck Safety, Environmental Standards

The Vancouver Port Authority said Monday it had introduced the most demanding container truck safety and environmental licensing standards in North America for the British Columbia port.

In support of its strategic trucking program, the port’s new truck licensing system will prohibit the access of substandard trucks on port property and develop a safer, cleaner and more sustainable container truck fleet, the port said.

The new provisions will take effect Jan. 1.

“With our new [licensing] version, the VPA is following through on the promise we made in April 2007 to introduce industry-leading container truck safety and environmental standards,” said VPA Vice President Chris Badger. “This new version . . . exceeds existing provincial environmental standards and raises the bar for container truck safety.”
 
The truck-licensing plan includes more stringent safety and environmental enforcement, data qualification and audit provisions to allow the port authority to prevent non-compliant or substandard equipment from accessing port property.

The new standards “will improve air quality in our communities and remove unsafe trucks from our roads,” Badger said.