Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Hopefully, the Minister of Infrastructure is not all tuckered out yet.
---Laughter
My questions are related to my Member's statement on the trucking industry and the safety on our highways. Can the Minister tell me how the department regulates the trucking industry? Specifically, when they are on our highways, keeping in mind the safety of the travelling public? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a Motor Vehicles Act that would be enforceable on our highways, so I'm assuming that would be one of the ways in which we do enforce the safety. Currently, as well, though, I did want to let the Member know that the Government of the Northwest Territories is working with our federal, provincial, and territorial colleagues to develop a common minimum training standard for commercial truck drivers across the country, so we are providing input and feedback to the federal government and our counterparts on where we see that there needs to be improvements. We've also been taking on a number of highway upgrades and will continue to do so. I know there's an area of concern on the highways with chipseal not being very good, or the quality of the roads not being very good, which also impacts driver safety. We're going to continue to apply for and receive federal funding to upgrade our roads. There's a lot of work being planned in the next four years on Highway No. 1 and Highway No. 3.
We're also going to be looking to do an implementation of the Intelligent Transportation Systems. This is an application of communication, computer, and system technologies, to make the transportation in the territory safer. There will be many benefits for this. It should increase the traveller information that we're collecting as a department; it will give us real-time data; it should be helping us to become better informed to make decisions. We have a budget of approximately $3.5 million over the next five years for this system, and we're currently on the work of putting out a request for proposals to complete the various components of the system. This is going to occur over the next several years as we roll it out.
I thank the Minister for all that information. I'm not sure if they are specific to the trucking industry; that's the industry that I'm discussing today. I mentioned the dangers of flying mud, rocks, and snow coming out of the trucks when you pass them. I've driven on the highway for quite a number of years, since 2008, when I had to work out of Hay River, going back and forth to Fort Providence. I've experienced a lot of that. Now, my time coming up to Yellowknife for the sittings. There's lots of, you know, flying mud, rocks; the mud covers your windshield totally. The snow is very, very bad. It's scary to get out there. Can the department engage the trucking industry to come up with new technology for the tire mud flaps so nothing flies out to oncoming traffic, which is posing serious risk to the travelling public?
I'm not sure if my department would be engaged to provide feedback to the trucking industry. However, we could definitely look into some ways and see if there is an opportunity, or a forum that maybe we need to become a member of, in order to be providing that. I did want to say, with respect to the mud and the rocks, and such, we are trying to implement, as much as we can, chipseal programs on roads that are not currently paved. Chipseal is basically a type of asphalt or pavement. We are looking to reduce the number of gravel roads that we have; however, again, very expensive. We also have a lot of issues to do with melting permafrost that makes having paved roads a lot more difficult to maintain and keep in an adequate manner. I commit to the Member that perhaps we need to do some education, as well, ensuring that trucking companies are ensuring that their truckers do have the appropriate flaps, et cetera.
I just wanted to ask, just to clarify the point before: you had referenced the fact that this wasn't about the trucking industry specifically. The mandatory commercial truck driver training that we're working on nationally is for the trucking industry.
Like I mentioned in my Member's statement, we're seeing an increase in truck traffic. You know, when I was coming up here last weekend, on the Sunday, I met up with six trucks on the road, and they were following very close to each other. It's a good thing it wasn't snowing; I probably would have hit one of them. That's what's happening. It's just a big increase with truck traffic on the highways, and we're not really regulating them. We don't see highway patrols out there. They're just running down the highway, you know, wanting to splash mud all over you in the summers, and whatnot. It still happens with the chipseal stuff. I'm just wondering if the department can meet with the suppliers, businesses, and mining executives to determine their needs and stockpiles in trying to decrease the amount of truck traffic on our highways?
I would like to point out that, if we were to advance the Taltson hydro expansion project, we won't have as many diesel trucks on the road, and that would maybe solve some of the trucking issues that we have. I take into note the Member's concerns, and yes, I will commit that as part of our development of our strategies going forward for highways. We will most assuredly, and I believe we already do, engage the trucking industry and get their feedback. As we've been speaking again, as a larger group, we do want to improve our systems and process as a government by ensuring we are listening to the people who are using our products and services. I commit to all of the Members right now that, every single thing I'm doing, I am collecting end-user feedback as best I can and will continue to do so.
Thank you for Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
