Mexican trucking program debated in court
Lawyers fight over legality of pilot program to allow Mexican trucks into the U.S.
By Dave Hannon -- Purchasing, 2/14/2008 1:57:00 PM
A courtroom in San Francisco became the latest battlefield in the ongoing debate on whether to allow Mexican truckers access to U.S. highways.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approved a pilot program in September that would allow Mexican trucks to use U.S. highways and let U.S. truckers to access Mexican highways. But opponents fear Mexican trucks will not use U.S. highways safely. After receiving approval in September funding for the program was cut when Congress voted against the program.
This week, a three-judge panel of the Federal Appeals Court in San Francisco considered the case. And, as the Associated Press reports, DOT lawyers argued that technically Congress passed legislation banning funding to "establish" a program that allows U.S.-certified Mexican trucks to carry loads across the border and into the country and the Department of Transportation interpreted "establish" as meaning to start a new program rather than to stop the current one, which was launched in September.
While members of the Teamsters Union and the Sierra Club were on hand to protest against the program, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters defended the program, saying “There have been no safety incidents involving these vehicles to date.” DOT officials said the 42 Mexican trucks enrolled in the program have compiled an average 10% “out of service” rate, indicating only one in 10 was put out of service after being pulled over by inspectors. The “out of service” rate on average for U.S. trucks is 23%.
The Teamsters Union issued a statement last week saying one trucking company in the program specifically has an “abysmal” safety record and has dropped out of the program.
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