Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Transportation. I was pleased to learn that the Department of Transportation is reviewing the restrictions on drivers in very small communities, so that someone from Tulita or Deline, for example, could use regional ice roads to legally travel throughout the region, not just 100 km from their driveway. When will the department's review of restrictions for drivers in very small communities be complete? Mahsi.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the department is currently reviewing what's called condition G driver’s licenses to allow the drivers in small communities to drive without any restriction beyond 100 km in their region. What we're hoping to do, in this review that we're looking at, would allow them to drive on the ice road system, basically. The Member has referred to Tulita, and presently if a person has a code G driver's license, they can only drive to Norman Wells, and that would be their restriction on their license. The policy is being reviewed, and we want to be able to let them drive safely to Fort Good Hope or Deline within that region. I would have to get back to the Member and find out when we're going to be finished this review.
Can the Minister provide examples of how other jurisdictions manage licensing for drivers from rural and remote communities so that applicants can get a valid, nationally recognized license without incurring major costs?
I don't have that information readily available. I would have to get back to the Member on that.
I would like to thank the Minister for his reply. Would the Minister be willing to look at ways to extend the opportunity to get a full driver's license to all residents and communities and working with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, for example?
The department always looks at all departments and all avenues to try to bring better driver opportunities for all residents in the Northwest Territories. One of the main things, though, that we have to take into account is public safety. The reasons for some of these restrictions in the communities, we have two restricted types of licenses, a code G and a code B. Both of them are based on various restrictions, but most of them are due to lack of infrastructure in a community such as curbs, sidewalks, lights, crossing devices, and merge lanes.
So if you are in a small community such as Colville Lake, you don't have the opportunity to drive in this type of situation, and public safety is the number one thing for highways and this government. So we would have to look at different ways to be able to bring those types of things to the communities, but that would be very challenging.
With that said, we're always looking at opportunities and how we can do that, but at present, the only communities in which you can get an unrestricted license in the Northwest Territories is in Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Hay River, and Inuvik.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has stated indeed that the department is doing a review in terms of trying to standardize the licensing of drivers in communities, and not just large communities. Would the Minister perhaps outline this in general, just the scope of the changes that he anticipates, at the same time whether he can commit to this House that, whenever that report and review is available, that he will make it available to this side of the House? Mahsi.
Currently, the review that is being done on condition G licenses, as we said, is basically on the ice road system and allows people to commute beyond 100 km of their community or their residence where their license is registered. I can get the information of exactly what we're currently reviewing on the whole aspect of expanding this, and I can get back to the Member on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
