GET READY<> HERE THEY COME!
SPECIAL REPORT: Mexico plans to send trucks across border this month, (or so they say)
A Mexican publication that covers Mexico’s transportation
industry reported Wednesday that the Secretariat of Communications and
Transportes said that the cross-border pilot program is coming by the
end of this month.
Despite continued opposition from Mexican trucker group – CANACAR
– the country’s transportation secretary claims the plan is
on the move, according to the transportation publication
T21.
In a business meeting on Tuesday, Mexican Transportation Secretary Luis
Tellez Kuenzler announced that “necessary conditions” in
Mexico are a reality. He also said he had been informed by the U.S.
Department of Transportation that 37 Mexican carriers have been
evaluated as satisfactory.
T21 also reported that on Wednesday, Tellez stated through a
press release that the necessary conditions existed to develop the
project and declared the Mexican government has decided to stick to the
proposed start date, which is the last week of August.
While the Mexican government is chatting up the subject, the U.S. DOT is deadly quiet.
Melissa DeLaney, DOT spokesperson, recited Thursday that nothing could
happen without the Inspector General’s go-ahead. She said she was
not aware of any preliminary report on the status of the pilot program.
“The IG is an independent entity. We don’t have a hand in
the process of them doing this report,” she said. “We are
complying with the law and the law clearly states this program cannot
start until that process has been done.”
T21 reported officials from the Mexican government will meet
next week with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters in Tijuana
to “see the progress of the program” and to
“guarantee the start.”
“She is taking congressional staff down there next week, to
highlight border operations, to show them an inspection, show them a
‘PASA’ (Pre-Authorization Safety Audit),” she told
Land Line.
“(It’s) a very standard trip that happens in recess. Not
the first time they’ve taken staff to the border to look at the
operations down there.”
– By Sandi Soendker, managing editor
spitfire
Saturday, August 18, 2007