Please see the information below and attached with measures our government has taken and continues to advocate in order to improve highway transportation.
Although Bill 49 was not adopted, this does not mean that our government hasn’t been taking meaningful steps to address highway safety in Northern Ontario. Measures such as the twinning of Highways 11 and 17, adding additional rest areas, as well as building new truck inspection stations and hiring additional MTO officers. These are all initiatives that opposition parties have not supported previously.
Officer staffing levels have increased by 78% since the government was formed in 2018, which is nearly double the amount of officers that were previously staffed. Bill 49 would have resulted in additional administration behind desks, although continued hiring efforts have resulted in over 90,000 inspections taking place in 2025, resulting in over 27,000 charges being laid. Additional safety measures have been taken to implement a 12-hour bare pavement standard for Highways 11 and 17 as well, requiring road maintenance contractors to reach bare pavement within 12 hours after a winter storm to ensure that the highways are as safe as possible for commuters.
With respect to licensing and training concerns, our government is already taking steps to review training standards and cracking down on fraudulent licenses to improve trucking safety, including Northern Ontario. Although all licensing testing is already MTO certified under the highest standards, this review is an additional measure already being taken to ensure that trucking and training are improved further.
Public safety and road safety remain one of my top priorities, as well as one of the top priorities of this government. I am always happy to take additional feedback for discussions with the Ministry of Transportation, but wanted to ensure that I highlighted some of the work that our government has already been doing to address highway safety, including Highway 11 and northern Highway 17 corridors.
Sincerely,
MPP Bill Rosenberg