VICTORIA, B.C.: NDP government restrictions on the Highway 5 heavy haul corridor are causing huge problems for B.C. truckers and the wider economy.

The government has imposed restrictions on trucks carrying oversized or overweight freight on Highway 5 between Kamloops and Highway 16 for the next two years while bridge repairs are carried out. Vehicles are being restricted to a maximum weight of 85,000 kilograms and a width of 4.4 metres.

For many heavy haul operators, that effectively means they’re stuck.

“The NDP has had years to plan for this, but once again they’re caught flat-footed,” said Harman Bhangu, Shadow Minister for Transportation. “Transport Minister Mike Farnworth knew this work was coming. He knew Highway 5 is a lifeline for heavy haul. But instead of having a plan ready, the NDP has left truckers and businesses to fend for themselves. That’s not good enough. We need to get this corridor back to full capacity as quickly as possible and start building the roads and infrastructure B.C. needs, so we’re not stuck in this mess again.”

One company has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because it couldn’t retrieve a piece of equipment it had rented from northern B.C. Another has lost approximately $75,000 in work because it couldn’t get permits to use an alternate route.

“The bottom line is, these restrictions are putting truckers out of work and making it a whole lot harder and more expensive to move big equipment around B.C.,” said Conservative Party of British Columbia Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay. “If you can’t move the equipment, the job doesn’t get done. Costs go up, projects get delayed and working people pay the price. The permitting system is a mess too. The NDP needs to get out of the way and give truckers and businesses one clear system to get the permits they need and keep B.C. moving.”

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