Congress Snuffs Out Bush’s Pilot Trucking Programme

(Akron/Tire Review) A surprise move by the U.S. Senate cut off funding for the Bush Administration’s much desired cross-border trucking pilot programme, just days after select Mexican trucking companies began hauling loads on U.S. roads. Tacked onto the 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, the amendment ending funding was approved 74-24 in the Senate. The amendment prevents the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from using funds for the program.

The U.S. House of Representatives took similar measures on its version of the bill back in July.After a lengthy court battle, the cross-border programme finally started on 6 September, and allowed Mexican trucks to operate beyond the designated commercial zone in the U.S.