Liberal MPs decry Vancouver Port Authority truck program in letters to minister

Four federal Liberal MPs have written to Transport Minister Omar Alghabra expressing frustration with a much-criticized program that aims to replace older trucks servicing thePortofVancouver.

The MPs' letters come amid heavy criticismofthe Rolling Truck Age Program, which aims to phase out trucks that are more than 12 years old to improve air quality and community health.

TheVancouverFraserPortAuthority put the onus on independent owners and operators to replace the vehicles.

Truckers have raised concerns about steep costs, saying that existing vehicles already meet emissions standards and global supply-chain issues are making the transition more difficult.

Theportsaid the program has been delayed twice since its initial introduction in 2022 to give companies more time to implement the new rules. It is now set to come into effect April 3.

A letter from Surrey, B.C., MP Randeep Sarai says he has met with truckers who have complied with the new measures but still find it unreasonable and worry about the requirement to replace more vehicles from their fleets down the road.

Other Liberal MPs from the area, including Sukh Dhaliwal, Parm Bains and John Aldag, sent similar letters to Alghabra.

Dave Earle, president and CEOofthe British Columbia Trucking Association, played down the concerns, saying that everyone knew these changes were coming and owners and operatorsoftrucks have had ample opportunity to comply.

Those that chose to wait are the ones facing the higher costoftrucks and limited availability, he said.

"I talked to oneofthe MPs that sent that letter on the weekend. I said, 'It was unfortunate [you] didn't come talk to us before you sent it because you don't have the data. You don't have the information,''' said Earle.

80% of trucks in compliance

To date, about 80 per centof1,800 container trucks in theporthave conformed to the new requirement, thePortofVancouversaid in a September news release.

Theporthas also said that once trucks that were built before 2009 have been removed, it expects to see a reductionofabout 15,000 tonnesofgreenhouse gases being released each year, including 575 tonnesofsmog-forming nitrogen oxide and 37 tonnesofcarcinogenic particulate matter.

Those who oppose the program say they are still waiting for a conversation with theportauthority.

"We are ready to have a nice conversation with thePortofVancouver,'' said Gagan Singh, a spokesperson for the United Truckers Association, which represents operators in theVancouverarea.

But the federal agency responsible for theporthas lost the "trust''oftruckers," he said. ''People don't have any faith in them anymore."

Singh said the group wants Transport Canada to intervene and act as a mediator for its members' conversations with the agency.

Dhaliwal, who mentioned in his letter that he attended the association's annual general meeting, said that Alghabra has been "very diligent'' in supporting a dialogue between theportauthority and the truckers.

But nothing has yet come outofthat process, he said in an interview. He said he believes the program should be scrapped altogether, at least for the moment.

A spokesperson for Alghabra said he has been in contact with thePortofVancouverabout the issue.

"Minister Alghabra has written to theporttwice asking them to work with the trucking industry and find a solution regarding the program to ensure the recoveryofour supply chains, amid labour shortages as a resultofthe COVID-19 pandemic,'' said press secretary Nadine Ramadan.

The agency that governs theportoperates at an arm's length from government and is run by a boardofdirectors that includes representativesofportusers and all three levelsofgovernment. The federal government can't direct its policy.

Theportauthority did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.