SUKH Dhaliwal, Liberal MP for Surrey-Newton said on Thursday that he was pleased that the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority had heard the calls from himself and his Liberal caucus colleagues to defer the implementation of the Rolling Truck Age Program, which was set to go into effect in April.

He added: “The Rolling Truck Age Program was implemented under the former Conservative government. Since 2015, our Liberal government has been working with Port truckers and have heard their frustrations with this program. This program unfairly targets the owners and operators of the Metro Vancouver container trucking sector.”

He noted that this sector plays an essential role in sustaining and supporting Canada’s supply chains and contributes to employment in the province of British Columbia.

Dhaliwal said: “Although I support the Port’s interest to reduce emissions, it cannot be done at the expense of one targeted group. I have been working on this issue for many years and I will continue to advocate for workers and families in Surrey-Newton as drayage truckers are critical to our supply chain and Canada’s success.”

The Port of Vancouver announced on Thursday that “in light of the current economic landscape and continued pandemic-related issues, we will again defer implementation of the [Rolling Truck Age Program] for no less than nine months.”

It also pointed out that “more than 85% of truck operators are now compliant with the requirements of the Rolling Truck Age Program – benefitting the region’s air quality as well as the health of families and communities throughout the Lower Mainland.”