The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has unanimously approved a resolution stating that enforcement efforts along the Mexican/U.S. border are now in place to ensure that commercial vehicles entering this country meet U.S. safety regulations and standards.
Though the North American Free Trade Agreement called for opening the border to Mexican trucks and buses Dec. 18, 1995, the Clinton administration found it necessary to delay the border opening until all safety concerns had been addressed.
Governors of the four border states are reportedly urging Clinton to open the border according to the terms of NAFTA. They site the states’ ability to conduct more commercial vehicle inspections and the increased number of federal officials assigned to border stations. Mexico has planned to extensively train more than 3,000 Federal Policia de Caminos and 1,200 new cadets entering the National Federal Police Academy on how to conduct roadside safety checks. Civilian inspectors will continue to be responsible for inspections at Mexican carrier facilities, conducted according to procedures and standards used throughout the U.S. and Canada.