Truckers beware

Truckers trying to sneak overweight loads through Port aux Basques will soon have another obstacle to deal with.

A new camera and in-road scale are being installed on the Trans-Canada Highway near the Department of Transportation weigh scales just outside of Port aux Basques.

The automated system, will record the weight of vehicles as they drive over the sensors in the pavement, even at highway speeds. It will also take photos of the vehicle and its license plate.

It will collect this information all day, every day, and not only when the weigh scales are open, according to Minister Trevor Taylor.

The minister said government is aware of reports of truck drivers waiting to come through Port aux Basques until the scales are closed. As there are no other scales until Pynn's Brook, it's possible to get overweight loads as far as Corner Brook without being detected.

Minister Taylor said that's one of the reasons Port aux Basques was chosen as a pilot site. He said the province is investing a lot of money in upgrading highways and wants to reduce the damage being done to those roads by overweight vehicles.

The system is expected to be running in a couple of months. However, Minister Taylor explained it will take some time to calibrate the system and verify the weights it records are the same as those measured by the regular scales.

The new technology won't necessarily mean more tickets being handed out for over-weight vehicles. Minister Taylor said current legislation doesn't allow for the use of such methods as the basis for tickets or fines. He said that could be changed, but the government will want to use the new system for some time before considering those changes.

The minister said the province will be able to track the number and identity of over-weight trucks. He said if a particular driver or company is a repeat offender, they can be contacted.

Port aux Basques is one of four locations in the province that will be piloting the new technology. The others will be on the Outer Ring Road near St. John's, the Northern Peninsula Highway near Pynn's Brook and the Conception Bay Bypass.

The province is spending a total of $700,000 on the four systems.

Minister Taylor said the introduction of the new system is intended to supplement the tools used by staff at the weigh scales, not replace them. He said no cuts or staffing reductions are planned.

The minister said that weight is not the only concern address by staff at weigh scales. Inspectors can also look for poorly distributed or secured loads, as well as mechanical or safety issues with the vehicle.

But the new system may help ease highway congestion, especially when a Marine Atlantic ferry is unloading for example.

Minister Taylor said initially, all commercial vehicles will still be required to pull into the regular weigh scales whenever it is open. However, in the future, it possible the new technology could be used to direct trucks within the weight limit to bypass the scales and direct those which are over-weight to pull into the scales yard.

editor@gulfnews.ca