Last week the editor of the Wheels section of the Toronto Star published a misguided editorial calling for trucks to be banned from GTA highways during rush hour.
It wasn’t long before The Star’s letters section felt the swift backlash from the trucking industry, including OTA president David Bradley.
“I read with interest your recent editorial in which you claim that the problem of highway congestion in the GTA could be fixed by banning trucks, or at least transport trucks, during rush hour. Perhaps you might consider car-pooling or public transit,” Bradley wrote in a response that appeared this past weekend.
“The fact is that congestion is caused by the explosion in car traffic that has occurred in recent decades, not by trucks. Indeed, the number of tractor-trailers using the Gardiner at any time of the day, let alone during rush hour, would be very low compared to all other types of vehicles. Most trucking companies would rather operate their vehicles during off-peak times, if their customers – who ultimately dictate when pick-ups and deliveries are made, — would cooperate. And, even when trucks are operating at night, for example, they can run afoul of local noise by-laws. It is a no-win situation. Given how dependent they are upon trucks, it is ironic how hostile some cities (you mention New York) are to them. Truck bans have not solved the congestion problem. It has simply pushed it elsewhere. Goods movement has been all but forgotten when it comes to city planning.”
Read the full collection of comments (the majority of which take the Star to task), here.