Industry group estimates 10 per cent of drivers could be affected
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing ahead with a vaccine mandate for international truckers, despite increasing pressure from critics who say it will exacerbate driver shortages and drive up the price of goods imported from the United States.
Canada will require all truckers entering from the U.S. to show proof of vaccination starting on Saturday, Jan. 15, as part of its fight against COVID-19.
That could force some 16,000, or 10 per cent, of cross-border drivers off the roads, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) estimates. Ottawa estimates that five per cent of drivers will be impacted, according to a government source.
The mandate is the first policy measure taken since the pandemic began that could limit cross-border trucking traffic. Trucks crossed the border freely when the border was closed for 20 months because they were considered essential to keep supply chains flowing.
"We don't anticipate significant disruptions or shortages for Canadians," the source said...
This was excerpted from the 9 January 2022 edition of CBC News.