Critics blasted for opposing Mexican trucks working American highways

THE former top lawyer from the US federal agency responsible for truck safety has blasted critics of a programme to allow Mexicans to work on US roads.

The initiative is being blocked by the Teamsters, which has requested a federal appeals court prevent the programme from being implemented, having already being turned down by an earlier court judgment.

"Attempts to block the programme are the desperate efforts of a few who want to protect their turf," said Attorney Brigham McCown, referring to objections based on safety risks. "What they fail to tell you is that trucks from Mexico that were grandfathered before a moratorium in the 1980s, travel our roads without incident every day, and have done so for years.

"What these people are saying is that 10 million professional drivers and a half million US companies will be overwhelmed by a few hundred trucks from Mexico. More important is the fact that for the first time ever, Mexico must open its markets to US trucks," he said.

Mr McCown is the former general counsel for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, who was involved with establishing the programme while in the US Department of Transportation.

A report by UK Transport Intelligence said the FMCSA programme will permit approximately 100 registered trucking companies from Mexico to travel beyond the current restricted US border zone.