Canadian Legislative Issues

Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, Steve Ashton has announced proposed legislation which would heighten passenger safety, including those in wheelchairs and pickup trucks. The amendments proposed under the Highway Traffic Act would require each passenger to occupy a seat in a motor vehicle and use the seatbelt provided. In addition, passengers in wheelchairs would also need to be secured with a seatbelt.

Furthermore, the proposed amendments would also forbid the transportation of passengers in a vehicle’s cargo area (for examples, the back of a pickup truck) and limit the number of passengers to the number of seatbelts in a vehicle.

Minister Ashton has reiterated that the Government of Manitoba is committed to enhancing passenger safety on Manitoba’s roads and highways, highlighting that restraints are proven to be a life-saving component of vehicle safety designs.


Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, Steve Ashton has announced proposed changes to the Highway Traffic Act, which would see more heavy trucks and other vehicles fall in line with the National Safety Code standards.

Minister Ashton highlighted that this measure would ensure that more heavy trucks and other vehicles on Manitoba’s roads are running in safe mechanical order, which will in turn help improve the safety of everyone on the roads.

The proposed amendments, which would apply largely to operators of heavy vehicles, include:

• All heavy vehicle operators would now have their safety performance monitored through Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation’s (MIT) Carrier Profile System
• Heavy vehicle operators would need to obtain a Safety Fitness Certificate from MIT
• Most heavy vehicle operators who would need to obtain a Safety Fitness Certificate would also need to comply with various other National Safety Code standards, including those requiring daily log books for recording driver hours of service and daily inspections of vehicles by drivers to help identify vehicle defects

A selection of heavy vehicles that would be required to comply with these standards include delivery trucks operated by small businesses; trucks operated by or on behalf of the province, municipalities or First Nation bands; Manitoba Hydro vehicles; MTS and other telecommunication vehicles; Canada Post vehicles; tow trucks; newspaper trucks; and garbage trucks.