Dump truck protest rolls onto highways in Mississauga and Brampton

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Published April 15, 2021 at 3:33 pm

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The battle between dump truck drivers and the province continued Thursday on the roads and highways of Mississauga and Brampton.

A large convoy of trucks got rolling from a parking lot located at Dixie Road and Derry Road in Mississauga at 9 a.m. this morning with what the Ontario Dump Truck Association (ODTA) says is a “peaceful protest”

The road rally is expected to travel along two routes in the GTA and cause several delays. The convey of trucks were spotted entering the southbound Highway 410 lanes just after 10 a.m. this morning.

The “Don’t Dump On Us” campaign, which began Monday, is a result of the Ministry of Transportation’s recent requirement that dump trucks older than 15 years will have to undergo expensive retrofits at costs of up to $40,000, operate at significantly reduced capacity or get off the road.

Drivers want the government to grandfather older trucks similar to the ways they have done for other older trucks on the road. The ODTA says the cost of the equipment upgrades places a heavy burden on small operators.

“All they’re asking for is fairness,” said Brampton councillor Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, who was at the protest and along with Brampton council recently passed a motion to support the dump truck drivers.

“The province must engage in discussions,” the councillor said.

At least 1,000 used dump trucks currently don’t comply with the latest Safe, Productive, Infrastructure Friendly (SPIF) configurations, but drivers maintain there is not a public safety threat.

 

 

 

GURPREET SINGH DHILLON PHOTO

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