Dive Brief:
- The Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) in Canada has announced its support for a Private Member's Bill which amends the Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act to better protect haulers who collect waste and recyclables from the curb.
- The bill would require vehicles to slow down and move lanes for garbage collection vehicles, which is a legislation that is "long overdue," according to OWMA CEO Rob Cook.
- Similar legislation in Ontario has been passed recently to provide similar protections for other vehicle operators, such as construction truck drivers, emergency vehicles, and tow trucks.
Dive Insight:
As OWMA explains on its website, "The waste management sector is in the process of a monumental change," with this proposed legislation being a big step toward such change, especially in Ontario, Canada.
In other parts of North America — including Alabama, Indiana, Florida, Virginia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Michigan — similar laws known as "Slow Down to Get Around" are already in place, requiring drivers change lanes or slow down to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit when passing a sanitation truck. If drivers refuse to comply to the law, the consequence could result in a $500 fine.
"These are similar to protections that are afforded to our workers in other jurisdictions across North America," said Cook in a press statement. "We hope all political parties can support the quick adoption of this important legislation."
