Program Allowing More Foreign Freight Truck Access To Continue

By Rachel Abell

EL PASO — A new program aimed at giving Mexican trucking companies more access to U.S. highways is still being hotly contested by American groups who say the change will adversely affect both the economic and naturalenvironment.

President Bush recently signed a spending bill that includesrecommendations againstallowing up to 500 trucks from 100 Mexican freight carriers to travel further throughout the U.S.

But the administration and supporters of the new cross-border demonstration project say continuingwiththe programwill save consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.

But opponents to the new program, still in its 5th month, say the work of many American trucking companies and employees will be reduced.

The Teamsters Union, along with several other labor groups and independent truck owners filed suit to have the program blocked in August, 2007. A hearing was scheduled for February 12 to review the claims filed by the group.

Those same detractors have warned that the rules for safety by which Mexican truckers abide are more lax than those for U.S. truckers and fear safety will be compromised on U.S. highways. They have been fighting the proposal since it was first announced back in 1994.

A spokesperson for the Motor Carrier Safety Administration said, “The current cross-border demonstration project established in September [of 2007] will continue to operate in a manner that puts safety first.”