2. Who enforces Vehicle Weight Limits?
Weight enforcement may be performed by Department of Highways and Transportation Traffic Officers, RCMP bylaw officer hired by a rural municipality or any police officer. Weight enforcement by Traffic Officers occurs on rural municipal roads when the department has the resources available or are reacting to a specific complaint or problem.

3. Why are weight limits imposed on municipal roads?
In 1978, weight limits were standardized across Saskatchewan when a standard weight limit was set for all rural municipal roads. These limits are consistent with Saskatchewan highways.

To provide flexibility for the municipalities, the governing legislation also allows for individual rural municipalities to either restrict or issue increased weight permits in special situations.

4. Where do I get an Official Saskatchewan Road Map?
Saskatchewan Road Maps are available through Tourism Saskatchewan for a nominal fee. To contact Tourism Saskatchewan in Regina phone 306-787-2300 or visit their web-site at www.sasktourism.com.

5. What do I do if my car is damaged on a provincial highway?
Occasionally vehicles are damaged while traveling on the more than
26 000 km of Saskatchewan highway network system. The department has a responsibility to reasonably warn drivers about road hazards that could jeopardize personal safety or result in vehicle damages. The department strives to provide as much warning as possible but damages can still occur.

If your vehicle receives damage, you must write the department regional coordinator within 30 days and outline the details of your claim. Claims are not considered for damage occurring while a highway is under construction or maintenance; or caused by other vehicles, animals or objects placed intentionally or unintentionally on the roadway by anyone other than department employees responsible for maintaining the highway.

For further information on the public claims process, please contact the nearest Highways and Transportation Regional Office:

6. Why doesn't fuel tax get used directly for highways?
It is often suggested the provincial tax on gasoline was designed to fund highway and road construction but that has never been the case.

Historically, the tax on fuel in the province has not been a tax dedicated to road construction. The fuel tax is a sales tax that goes into the province's general revenue fund along with all other taxes collected. It is used to help finance government programs, including health, education, social programs, debt repayment, and highway improvements.

There has been no increase in the fuel tax rate for the provincial government (15¢/L) since 1993. Government spending for highways and roads exceeds what the province receives in road-related fuel tax revenue.

7. What are your plans for twinning on Highway Nos. 1 and 16?
Accelerating the twinning schedule on Highway 1 west tops the list of provincial transportation spending priorities. The province will complete twinning on Highway 1 west between Tompkins and the Alberta border in 2004 - four years ahead of the original schedule.

In 1997, the government made a commitment to complete twinning on Highway No. 1 from Alberta to Manitoba and Highway No. 16 from North Battleford to Lloydminster by 2012. Our timetable within that broader timing was to complete the section on Highway No. 1 West from the Alberta border to Tompkins by the year 2008. That schedule has now been pushed up, with the goal for completion in 2004 in order to improve safety and save lives. There had been a strong push to speed up twinning on this heavily-travelled stretch of highway - from communities along the highway, from the motoring public, and other interested groups.

At present, our timetable for completion of twinning on Highway No. 16 remains 2010. Because of the length of the work on the Highway No. 1 east twinning, we still expect completion to be in 2012. $25.6 million has been allocated for twinning on Highway Nos. 1 and 16 - almost double the $13.3 million budgeted for twinning in 2000/2001. 70 km of four lane highways will be paved and opened on our two national highways this year.

All work done to fulfill the 1997 twinning commitment so far, has been done with funding from Saskatchewan taxpayers alone. If the federal government recognized its responsibility on the national highway network and backing that responsibility up with funding, we could accelerate the twinning schedule and reduce our 15 year plan considerably.

8. What are TMS highways?
Thin membrane surface highways are commonly referred to as TMs highways. They are thin surfaced highways built 30 to 40 years ago, at a time when there was very little truck traffic. TMs highways were created to provide dust-free mud-free travel for light traffic.

With the shift from rail to road in commodity movement in agriculture, TMs highways cannot meet the demands of increased trucking. The closure of rail lines and elevators has increased the amount of heavy truck traffic using our road network by about 860% since 1984. By 2005, total grain haul is expected to increase by an additional 42%. Approximately 5 000 to 6 000 km of TMs highways are being impacted by the increasing grain haul.

Saskatchewan's 7 500 km of TMs highways are at their weakest state during spring thaw. Soft spots and local failures are a common spring occurrence. Historically, department maintenance forces were able to make the necessary repairs within a reasonable time frame. With the increased commodity hauls, it is difficult to sustain TMs highways to provide the desired level of service.

The province is improving the condition of strategic TMs highways - those that are main transportation corridors or experience high traffic flow. Major work started on these highways in the spring of 2001.

The government is investing more than $900 million in transportation over the next three years. In this three-year period, 800 km of TMs highways will be rebuilt. Once rebuilt, they will be capable of carrying heavy truck traffic and will provide a smooth driving surface.

9. How many kilometres of highways are there in Saskatchewan?
Within the 26 000 km system of Saskatchewan provincial highways, there are 7 000 km of primary paved highways. These highways essentially provide for the inter-regional, inter-provincial and international movement of goods and people. The remaining 19 000 km of regional highways consist of 5 400 km of paved highways, 7 500 km of thin membrane surface (TMs) highways and 5 600 km of gravel roads.

10. How can I obtain a permit such as an Overweight, Over-dimensional or registration permit?
To obtain a permit contact Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) at
1-800-667-7575 within Saskatchewan or 306-775-6969 outside Saskatchewan.

11. Where can I find Department of Highways and Transportation employment information?
The Saskatchewan Public Service Commission is where you will find information and assistance about employment with the Saskatchewan Government as well as current job advertisements and procedures for applying. The link to the Pubic Service Commission is: http://www.gov.sk.ca/psc/.

If you are seeking summer employment you can receive an application online at: http://www.gov.sk.ca/psc/jobs/summer/default.htm

12. How do I get access to the Legislation such as the Highway Traffic Act about trucking in Saskatchewan?

The Highway Traffic Act is available for purchase through the Queen's Printer; however if you have access to a Saskatchewan public, law or legislative library you will find all provincial acts available to the public. On October 1, 2001 this Act will be available to the public free from the Queen's Printer.

13. Where can I inquire about trucking issues?
If you have a comment, concern or inquiry about trucking you can contact our general inquiry line in Saskatoon at 306-933-5290.

14. Where can I forward a question, concern or complaint about Saskatchewan highways?
If you were unable to find the answer to your question on our web-site, please send your inquiry to: Communications Branch

15. How do I erect a Commemorative Marker on the highway right-of-way?
Department of Highways and Transportation, in recognizing an individual or family's need to grieve the loss of loved one, will allow the highway right-of-way to be used for the purpose of erecting commemorative markers under specific conditions that provide for the motoring public's safety. For further inquiries you can contact our regional offices at:
Southern Region - Regina - 306-787-4715
Central Region - Saskatoon 306-933-5821
Northern Region - Prince Albert - 306-953-3523

16. What is the weight restriction on towing R.V's?
If a vehicle is a fifth wheel trailer, it can weigh twice the weight of the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your truck provided you do not exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating of any one axle.

If the vehicle is a bumper hitch trailer, it must be equivalent to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the truck. Again, the Gross Axle Weight Ratings cannot be exceeded. For further information on weight restrictions for R.V.'s please contact Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) at 306-775-6190 or e-mail their inquiry line at: sgiinquiries@sgi.sk.ca

17. What is the new law concerning passing emergency vehicles on Saskatchewan highways?
To create a safer environment for emergency personnel, all highway drivers must slow down to 60 km/h when passing emergency vehicles that have their lights flashing. This includes city police and RCMP vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances.

On October 1, 2000 legislation was passed as part of an amendment to the Highway Traffic Act to create an offense under section 37.1 for exceeding 60 km/h when passing an emergency vehicle.

The fine for the offense will be the same as for exceeding 60 k/h when passing highway workers in the Orange Zone. The fine is $140 plus $2 for each km/h in excess of the speed limit for speeds up to 30 km/h above the speed limit and $4 for each km/h in excess of the speed limit for speeds greater than 30 km/h above the speed limit.

18. What is the speed limit in the Orange Zone
In the Orange Zone remember to slow to 60 km/h. Highway construction and maintenance zones are dangerous so reduce your speed, use extra care and save lives.

The fine is $140 plus $2 for each km/h in excess of the speed limit for speeds up to 30 km/h above the speed limit and $4 for each km/h in excess of the speed limit for speeds greater than 30 km/h above the speed limit.

19. What is the No-Zone
Sharing the road is the key to safety on all highways. The No-Zone refers to the blind spots big trucks have - and to stay safe, you need to avoid them to prevent crashes.

20. Why aren't there more passing lanes while we wait for the twinning to occur?
The suggestion to construct passing lanes before twinning occurs has been mentioned many times in the past and an idea to which we have devoted a great deal of study. While the idea of such lanes certainly has merit, only partial, short-term solutions are found with these lanes. Passing lanes are less expensive than twinning, but are still a significant investment. A passing lane would need to operate for at least 15 years to be a sound investment and when a twinning project replaces the passing lanes, there is little that can be salvaged.

21. How do Saskatchewan's hours of service requirements compare with the Canadian standard?
The current standard is based on a daily cycle of 23 hours, during which drivers can drive up to 13 hours and be on duty an additional 2 hours for non-driving activities. Drivers must have 8 hours off-duty. Also, the federal standard imposes a cap on the hours of on-duty time during an extended period (60 hours in 7 days, 70 hours in 8 days or 120 hours in 14 days). Saskatchewan has not implemented the weekly cap restrictions that exist in the current federal standard. As a result, drivers engaged in intra-Saskatchewan operations are able to drive a maximum of 104 hours in a seven day period.

22. Why has Saskatchewan not adopted weekly cap restriction?
Saskatchewan chose not to adopt the weekly cap restriction to allow more flexibility for the intra-provincial trucking operations of companies whose core business is not trucking (for example, logging or agricultural industries) and those that require flexibility to meet seasonal demand for deliveries (such as fertilizer). There Saskatchewan's regime has been in place since 1996 and there has been no increase in fatigue-related truck accidents in the province.

23. What is I.T.S. ?

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) include a broad range of electronic technology applied to a transportation system in an integrated manner to improve the functioning of the transportation system. For example some ITS applications can provide data on traffic, road and weather conditions and monitor changes in real time

24. What role does the department of highways have in the area of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)?

The department has taken a lead role in developing a provincial ITS strategy document which will focus on the deployment of ITS in Saskatchewan but not on the research and development of ITS applications.

For further information on ITS see ITS Canada's web site at www.itscanada.ca

25. What effect does global trade have on Saskatchewan?

Global trade is forcing Saskatchewan's economy to compete in a worldwide marketplace. Saskatchewan is a trade dependent province with nearly 40% of its annual GDP attributed to trade activities. Total world trade from Saskatchewan has risen by 102% over the last decade. The markets that Saskatchewan produced commodities are accustomed to supplying are changing and the province is changing continually to compete in the global economy.

26. How does global trade link to transportation?

Transportation is directly related to all economic activities, as well as many social and environmental priorities. It is a major input into trade liberalization as it links all facets of the economy with different regions of the world. With changing markets and increased demand on imports and exports, new and more efficient transportation systems are necessary to get production to the marketplace.

27. What is Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation doing to improve global transportation links?

We are examining future customer needs, demographics, market characteristics, trade flows, and government regulations. By examining these issues a strategy will be developed to prioritize investment where future returns will be highest. This investment strategy will strengthen the transportation infrastructure to effectively compete in the global marketplace.

28. How is Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation going to ensure our province remains competitive in this new global market?

Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation is committed to an investment strategy that is forward looking and progressive. Regional, national, and international trade opportunities will advance our province's economic development through improved trucking efficiencies, multi-modal logistics, and enhanced border crossing facilities. The identification and designation of provincial transportation trade corridors will assist in the prioritization of infrastructure improvements. The development of a strategy for a public infrastructure system that is based on wealth capacity instead of maintenance and preservation will realign the current system in order to improve access to global markets. The harmonization of vehicle weights and dimensions will assist in expediting border crossings and customs ports and improve efficiency in access to international markets.

29. What is the role of the Province in the regulation of air transportation services?

The Province does not have a direct role in the regulation of air transportation services. The federal government regulates both airlines and airports. The Province provides input, after consultation with stakeholders, for federal regulation and policy. For example, the provincal provided its response on air issues in its submission to the Canada Transportation Agency Review Panel on the review of the Canada Transportation Act. The general objective of the province is an air transportation system that provides travellers and shippers with quality, timely and safe services at a reasonable cost and contributes to the economic and social development of the province.

30. There is talk about a modified sixth freedom? What does this mean, and how will it help Saskatchewan air travelers.

A sixth freedom is the right of a carrier to carry traffic from one foreign country to another foreign country via the carrier's home country. For Saskatchewan this means a carrier like Northwest Airlines can take a passenger from Regina or Saskatoon to Toronto through Minneapolis, where the passenger then goes through US Customs before proceeding to Toronto. While Northwest can do this at the present time, it cannot sell this service, market it, or display it on a travel agent's computer reservation system, on a single ticket basis.

A modified sixth freedom would allow people who use this service to purchase one ticket, and would facilitate increased competition among the airlines into the Toronto market.

31. Who currently owns the Saskatoon and Regina airports?

The federal government owns these airports. The Saskatoon and Regina Airport Authorities are not-for-profit corporations that operate the airports under a 60 year lease agreement (with the option on an extension). The airport authorities have been given a grace period of five years during which they pay no rent. The purpose of the rent-free period is to help them develop their business. At the end of the period they will pay rent to Transport Canada.

32. Do we have a Traveller's Bill of Rights in Canada?

There has been talk of developing a Traveller's Bill of Rights in Canada in the wake of the merger of Air Canada and Canadian Airlines International Limited to ensure that the merger does not undermine consumer protection. However, it has not progressed beyond the talking stage. This is because the Federal Government established the Office of the Air Travel Complaints Commissioner within the Canada Transportation Agency. The tenure of the office is two years. Travellers who have complaints against airlines and are not satisfied with the response of the airline to their complaints, can direct them to the Air Travel Complaints Commissioner. He has been tasked not only with resolving the complaints, but also reporting to and making recommendations to the Federal Transport Minister on consumer protection measures until the Commissioner has completed his term of office.

33. In view of the recent hijacking and destruction of the World Trade Centre in New York, what steps are being taken to protect airline passengers in Canada?

Transport Canada regulates airport and airline safety and set standards to be followed with discretion of the airports and airlines to enhance them. The airport authorities have responsibility for aerodrome/ground security and the airlines have responsibility for airline and passenger security.
Following the events of September 11, both the airport authorities and airlines have enhanced both mandated and non-mandated security measures.
The Regina Airport Authority, for example, has:

• Reduced the number of restricted access points (closed them);
• Increased security personnel at the primary vital access points;
• Increased security checks of all vehicles with access to restricted areas, and drivers have to satisfy security personnel that they have security clearance and a valid reason for entering the restricted area; and
• Required a police presence in the terminal building during all hours of operation, although this is not mandated in Transport Canada regulations.
• The airlines have also enhanced mandated security. Actions include:
  Increased the number of searches of carry-on baggage (pre-board) in addition to x-ray of baggage;
• Prohibited all knives or knifelike objects in carryon luggage;
• Extended matching of baggage on international flights to domestic flights (no transportation of baggage unless the owner is on board. This is done through the reconciliation of tickets received at gate and baggage on board);
• Intensified baggage checks at check-in (more thorough questioning of status of bags at counter);
• Increased scrutiny of electronic devices taken on board, e.g., cell phones, laptops, CD-players; (not permitted if security personnel deems them a security threat); and
• Showing of photo ID for transborder flights. This is not a requirement for domestic flights. More airlines are now requiring photo ID for tickets sold on line and being picked up at counter.
• The above security measures also apply to flights departing from Prince Albert to Saskatoon (controlled airspace), but not to local flights from Prince Albert to northern destinations.