Frequently Asked Questions

• Safety
• Regulations and regulatory requirements
• Vehicle equipment standards
• Speed limits
• Residential parking bans
• Permits for access roads, structures and signs
• Charter buses
• Short line railways

TTMA Frequently Asked Questions (PDF version)

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1. Does this legislation affect the safety of Manitobans?

No. TTMA does not change Manitoba’s existing safety regulations. For example, heavy truck and bus operators must hold a Safety Fitness Certificate and comply with a number of safety related regulation. TTMA does not change this.

The Manitoba government is committed to opening up Manitoba for tourism, economic growth, and the travelling public. But safety will not be compromised.

The Manitoba government is actively pursuing road safety in our strategy paper “Road to Zero”, where we are committed to reducing accident, injuries and fatalities from avoidable collisions to zero.

2. Dissolving the boards eliminates over 2,500 regulatory requirements – what are some examples of requirements being eliminated?

Examples of requirements being eliminated include:

• Highway Traffic Board hearings
• The Motor Transport Board’s 300 page rules of procedure regulation
• Operating authorities for buses, which previously required annual review and special applications when an operator wanted to add a vehicle or change their route, etc.
• Regulatory requirements that have no relevance (e.g., Motor Transport Board regulations and policies from when the trucking industry was economically regulated are still on the books)

TTMA requires review of over 200 regulatory instruments. This review is underway and will ensure only relevant regulatory requirements will stay on the books.

3. Why is a government committed to red-tape reduction creating a new act?

The Transportation Infrastructure Act replaces two acts that are being repealed: The Highways Protection Act and the Highways and Transportation Act.

The main purpose of the new act is to move the Highway Traffic Board’s powers under the Highways Protection Act to the minister.

The new act carries over many existing provisions under the Highways and Transportation Act.

4. What is changing with Manitoba’s vehicle equipment requirements?

The vehicle equipment requirements under the Highway Traffic Act are being removed and will be updated and clarified in regulations.

This includes updating Manitoba’s light vehicle inspection standards. The existing standard is over 20 years old.

Once the requirements are in regulation, they will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis as technology changes.

Manitoba Public Insurance administers the government’s safety inspection programs.

5. With the Highway Traffic Board dissolved, how will speed limits be set on provincial roads and highways?

The minister will delegate responsibility for setting speed limits on provincial roadways to the department.

The department will use recognized traffic engineering methods to determine if speed limits need to change.

Municipalities and other local governments may request speed limit changes on provincial roadways in their communities.

The department will review the request and make a decision.

The decision will be subject to an internal review process.

The minister can be requested to review departmental decisions.

6. How are smaller municipalities and northern communities supposed to manage setting their own speed limits?

Local governments must make bylaws for setting speed limits on their roadways. However, the existing speed limits do not have to be changed.

All speed limits are currently prescribed under the Highway Traffic Board’s Highway Speed Regulation.

The regulation provides a geographical description of the speed limit on all roadways. The existing descriptions could be moved to a bylaw.

Municipalities may use traffic engineering guidelines to determine how existing speed limits should be changed.

7. What happens if a municipality doesn’t make a bylaw?

If there is no bylaw, the speed limit will default to 90 km / h. However, if this speed is not safe, the minister will make the community a restricted speed area.

The speed limit in restricted speed areas is 50 km / h unless otherwise posted.

Municipalities and other local governments will be encouraged to make bylaws.

8. What is changing with residential parking?

Currently, the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) allows a municipality to impose an overnight residential parking ban for snow removal. A parking ban may be imposed from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. without erecting temporary signs.

HTA amendments will allow municipalities to impose a ban without erecting signs at any time, provided the conditions set out in regulations are met (i.e. 24 hours notice through a media release before imposing a ban).

9. What will be the appeal process when the department denies applications for access roads, structures and signs on highways?

Decisions made by the department will be subject to an internal review process.

Where a citizen’s request cannot be granted, the department will work to find viable alternatives. For example, if a citizen proposes to put a driveway in an unsafe place, the department will work directly with the applicant to determine a safe site for the driveway.

Citizens will be able to request the minister to review the department’s decision.

10. Why was the charter bus industry addressed under TTMA?

Currently, the Motor Transport Board economically regulates Manitoba’s charter bus industry. This means the board determines where charters may operate, the number of vehicles that may be operated, etc.

The board is being dissolved and will no longer have authority to regulate charter services.

Charter operators will still have to meet all the safety related requirements currently in place.

11. How does TTMA affect Manitoba’s charter bus industry?

Industry will no longer have to pass an economic entry test to provide a charter service in Manitoba.

An operating authority will no longer be required to run a charter service, operators will no longer have to renew their operating authority annually, or go to the Motor Transport Board for adjustments to their operating authority.

Manitoba charter operators will be open to out-of-province competition. However, the changes reduce red tape for industry and are expected to give consumers more choice.

This aligns with Manitoba’s commitment to the New West Partnership Trade Agreement. It is also consistent with the deregulation of charter services that has already taken place in British Columbia and Alberta.

Other provinces may continue to protect their charter industries by imposing restrictions on Manitoba-based operators.

12. How do the changes to short line rail regulations impact safety?

Short line railway safety is not impacted.

TTMA removes the Motor Transport Board’s authority in relation to short line railways. However, the board’s authority is not safety-related.

Manitoba Infrastructure’s Motor Carrier Branch is responsible for ensuring short line railways meet federal railway safety codes that have been adopted under Manitoba regulations. TTMA does not change this.

A superintendent of railways will replace the Motor Transport Board’s in overseeing Manitoba’s short line rail policy