Alberta Government extends select vehicle inspection certificate expiry dates

Press Release: Over the past week, more than 1,100 offers of support have poured in from private and non-profit organizations through the Government of Alberta’s Bits and Pieces program.

The offers include passenger and commercial vehicles, hotel rooms and mobile trailers, food and water services, hospital gowns, face masks, ventilators and other personal protective equipmEffective April 9, 2020, the Government of Alberta is extending the expiry dates of select vehicle inspection certificates until May 15, 2020, if the certificate expires between March 17 and May 15, 2020. This includes all:

• Commercial Vehicle Inspection Program certificates and decals;

• Out of Province Motor Vehicle Inspection certificates; and

• Salvage Motor Vehicle Inspection certificates.

The Government of Alberta is also implementing the following changes that will apply only to commercial vehicles providing direct assistance to emergency relief efforts for COVID-19. These changes will remain in effect until August 14, 2020, or 60 days after the public health emergency order ends:

• Issuing exemption permits for some hours of service requirements without charging a permit fee;

• Making it so municipal bylaws that restrict the hours of day commercial vehicles can operate or park are no longer in effect;

• Increasing the weight that wide base single tires can carry on provincial and municipal roads without a permit;

• Exempting commercial vehicles from road bans on provincial and municipal roads; and

• Increasing the weight that commercial vehicles with tridem and tridem drive axle groups can carry on municipal roads to match what they can carry on provincial roads. This does not apply to bridges on the restricted bridge list for vehicles with tridem axles.

“Commercial vehicles providing direct assistance to emergency relief efforts” refers to vehicles that transport essential products and services such as medical and health supplies/equipment, temporary housing/isolation facilities supplies/equipment, emergency groceries, medical and emergency personnel, and fuel. This does not include routine deliveries and the load must be primarily essential supplies and equipment. Vehicles that exceed allowable weights will still be required to obtain an overweight permit.

As the situation evolves, the Government of Alberta may take additional measures.

For full details of these changes and other information about support for commercial carriers during the COVID-19 response, visit: alberta.ca/covid-19-commercial-carrier-information.aspx

If you have any questions or concerns about meeting regulatory requirements, please contact Alberta Transportation’s Carrier and Vehicle Safety Branch at Trans.permittingapprovals@gov.ab.ca. Thank you for continuing to deliver your vital role in the supply chain to support Albertans during the pandemic.ent. They also highlight innovation in local manufacturing, with several Alberta distilleries offering sanitizer they produced and a drapery manufacturer offering medical garments and bedding it produced.

The program is named after the “bits and pieces program” established by Canada’s Minister of Munitions and Supply during the Second World War, C. D. Howe. The program coordinated innovative production and procurement efforts from across the Canadian economy to support the war effort.

“I’m deeply touched by the outpouring of support we’re seeing from private and non-profit organizations, both foreign and domestic. When times are tough, Alberta’s spirit of ingenuity and generosity always answers the call.”

Jason Kenney, Premier

One example is ATCO, the Alberta-founded and based company that got its start providing trailers for the oilpatch and is now best known to Albertans as a provider of gas and electricity, which has offered to contribute up to several hundred trailers if needed. These could be used for COVID testing, treatment and quarantining, especially in rural and remote areas without adequate medical facilities.

In addition to many local companies offering and innovating to provide products, Alberta’s post-secondary institutions are leading in areas of research, with one researcher at the University of Alberta working to develop a virus-killing medical mask.

“Albertans are leaders, and I’m humbled to see our province leading and giving back in so many ways. The offers and innovation we’re seeing take place across our province right now will help our government meet the demands and challenges we face today, and the ones we’ll face in the future.”

Kaycee Madu, Minister of Municipal Affairs

The Government of Alberta encourages individuals, private companies and non-profit organizations who can offer products and services, including personal protective equipment, to visit the offers webpage at alberta.ca/covid19.

Examples of Alberta companies filling the need

• ATCO has confirmed their ability to deploy hundreds of trailers for medical testing, quarantining and treatment, especially in rural and remote areas.

• Calgary-based Fluid Energy Group has signed a letter of intent with the federal government to produce hand sanitizer.

• The Rocky Mountain Soap Company in Canmore received certification from Health Canada to create a naturally derived hand sanitizer that is available online.

• Alberta Garment is transitioning to produce hospital gowns.

• Alberta’s manufacturing sector is working to tackle the spread of COVID-19 by exploring new solutions for personal protective equipment.