The Editor,
Here is a thought.
Suppose that Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) has an agenda to use the trucks travelling through the tunnel during rush hours- causing massive back ups - so as to gain support from frustrated commuters and other tunnel users, resulting in pressure on the province to replace the Massey Tunnel sooner rather than later.
I attended the port AGM last week and asked the question - what steps is PMV taking to reduce truck trips by switching to short sea shipping (barges) or short haul rail to move containers to/from the port?
I also suggested than on days when there are no trucks, then tunnel traffic flows smoothly even during peak hours.
Robin Silvester (president and CEO) chose to duck the question and instead said they were addressing the problem by installing GPS on the trucks and that with the SFPR and Massey Tunnel replacement, everything would be okay.
There are few if any major ports that inflict traffic problems on communities the way that PMV does.
They simply do not care. Likewise, with the concept of an inland terminal, they say that it is not cost justified. They ignore the huge costs they impose on the community by their reckless attitude because they can.
This is a rogue port.
Roger Emsley Against Port Expansion Community Group, executive director
