WHEREAS the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch has implemented a travel authorization permitting process, as outlined in the Compliance Circular dated June 15, 2009, requiring fire apparatus - operated by or on behalf of a municipality or other authority responsible for public fire control operations - that exceeds legal axle weights as listed in the BC Commercial Transport Act and Commercial Transport Regulation to obtain a conditional permit that may limit, prohibit and make direction respecting use on provincial roadway routes: AND WHEREAS emergency response personnel, in the interest of public safety, just respond to incidents by the most accessible, expedient and direct route possible thereby deeming the travel authorization permitting process impractical and detrimental to emergency response operations: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure be requested to reconsider its position and exempt public and not for profit emergency response vehicles from the requirement for travel authorization permits on provincial roadways.
Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure To ensure public safety and protect infrastructure, permits must be obtained before operating an overweight vehicle on a provincial highway. Routes may be restricted for safety reasons. To reduce concerns about municipal liability, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will continue to issue free permits for overweight fire apparatus to fire departments, municipalities, or other authorities responsible for public fire control operations. Permits are issued free of charge to fire departments, municipalities, or other authorities on a case by case basis, following an evaluation of contributing factors such as public safety, highway structures and traffic volumes in the permitted area.