Through the joint Government of Ontario/Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) Open for Business Roundtable process, changes are being implemented to the Oversize/Overweight (O/O) permit process in Ontario, the ORBA says in a news release.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) plans to change the duration of a single trip permit from four days to seven days and extend weekend travel to include loads over current annual dimensions (with the exception of police-escorted loads).
“Finding ways to reduce paperwork and the administrative burden on businesses without compromising safety is the ultimate win-win,” says transportation minister Steven Del Duca. “By working with ORBA, the ministry has made improvements that will help streamline processes and improve the speed of permitting without sacrificing security.”
In December, the O/O permit application process was one of five issues presented at the opening roundtable for review to address concerns identified with the current permit wait times and to improve efficiencies and effectiveness of the permit application process. As part of the roundtable process, ORBA members populated a working group that worked with the MTO to suggest ways to improve the permitting process and help reduce the administrative burden on companies applying for permits.
“ORBA is pleased by the changes being implemented to the oversize/overweight permitting process,” said Ashley De Souza, ORBA’s director of government relations. “The changes to the permitting process will help improve the turnaround time for companies to obtain permits, improve business efficiency, speed up time to complete construction projects and create greater value for taxpayers.”