Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Feb. 11, 2021:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Friday declared a state of emergency in an effort to scale down the protests that have blocked several border crossings in the province through fines and the potential for license revocation.
In a press conference Friday, Ford, who called the protests in Ottawa a “siege” and an “illegal occupation,” said the province will use “legal authorities to urgently enact orders that will make crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure.”
Ford said fines for non-compliance with any orders “will be severe, with a maximum penalty of $100,000 and up to a year imprisonment.” Additionally, Ford said Ontario will provide the authority to take away the personal and commercial licenses of drivers who do not comply with the orders.
“While these emergency orders will be temporary, we have every intention to bring new legislation forward that will make these measures permanent in law,” he added.
With some plans underway for potential trucker protests in the U.S. similar to those in Canada, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear on Thursday issued a statement opposing any potential truck driver protests.
“ATA strongly opposes any protest activities that disrupt public safety and compromise the economic and national security of the United States,” Spear said. “We held serious concerns about the unintended impact a vaccine mandate would have on our nation’s supply chain and ongoing COVID response efforts, which is why ATA challenged the OSHA rule all the way to the Supreme Court – where we prevailed.”
