DOT moves forward with U.S./Mexico cross-border truck program

DOT moves forward with U.S./Mexico cross-border truck program Despite vehement opposition from organized labor, trucking associations, and leaders in Congress, the Bush administration said Friday it is set to move forward with a pilot program to allow Mexican-domiciled trucks to operate deep within the United States.
   The Federal Register notice said the administration plans to start the program once Calvin L. Scovel III, the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General, completes his report on the program to Congress and the DOT completes any follow-up actions needed to address any issues that may be raised in the report.
   The announcement comes nearly six months to the day after the DOT said in February it would begin a one-year pilot program within several months to allow a U.S. government certified group of 100 Mexican trucking companies to operate beyond the current 20- to 25-mile commercial zones along the U.S. Southwest border.
   Opening the borders for trucks by 2000 was mandated under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement. After the U.S. government failed to implement the truck provisions regarding Mexico, a NAFTA tribunal declared in 2001 that the United States must meet the provisions of the treaty regarding Mexican vehicles. Despite this, legislation and litigation — under the guise of safety and labor concerns — has kept the Mexican trucks limited to the narrow commercial zones along the U.S./Mexico border.
   Given the nearly seven-year delay of implementing the NAFTA provisions, the DOT's announcement of the pilot program shocked many people. What followed were months of contentious public debate, congressional legislation and lawsuits from business and civic groups to stop or slow the plan.
   The criticism culminated in late May, with Congress adding an amendment to an Iraq war funding bill that placed stringent criteria on any plan to allow Mexican trucks further egress into the United States. The bill passed the House by a vote of 280-142, the Senate 80-14, and was signed by the president.
   In early June, a bipartisan collection of more than 100 House members signed a letter delivered to the president expressing 'grave concerns' about the administration's continuing efforts to move the plan toward a launch date.
   Later the same month, the DOT's plans were dealt a more serious blow, with the House voting to limit funding to the proposed program.
   The voice vote to amend the 2008 Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill said, 'none of the funds made available under this act may be used to establish or implement a cross-border motor carrier demonstration or pilot project or program to allow Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate beyond the commercial zones on the United States-Mexico border.'
   Sponsored by Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; Nancy Boyda, D-Kan.; Gary Miller, R-Calif.; and Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the amendment was the third effort by Congressional representative to end the program before it began.
   The bill has been earmarked for debate on the floor of the Senate before the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.
   Friday's Federal Register notice also offered responses to the more than 2,300 comments received during a public review period conducted June 9-July 31. The DOT said: 'most of the comments expressed concerns that Mexico-domiciled trucking companies pose a safety risk to the traveling public. The remaining comments were from organizations and associations expressing their views on specific details about the demonstration project.'
   The notice goes on to dismiss the comments for either their brevity, lack of technical details supporting the statements, or lack of legal aspects supporting the comments' positions. The notice does discuss at length several comments received by the agency supporting the cross-border plan.
   The full Federal Register notice is available at a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-16207.htm.