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September 8, 1999 11:18 AM, EDT

Congress and the federal government have squabbled for more than 30 years over the placement of motor carrier safety programs and the best mix of enforcement and outreach efforts.

All parties agree that carrying out truck and bus safety laws through roadside inspections and compliance reviews is crucial. Since the day that jurisdiction of truck and bus safety was transferred from the Interstate Commerce Commission to the Department of Transportation in 1967, the agency has come under fire for using education and outreach programs to help promote safety.

At the same time, Congress has questioned whether trucking needs a separate federal agency to ensure that sufficient attention is paid to safety issues.

Spurred by recent criticism of its emphasis on education and outreach, the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety is increasing its enforcement efforts, even though it is not sure whether that will reduce fatalities.

Since Julie Cirillo took over as head of OMCHS in January, she has reallocated resources to conduct more compliance and safety checks.

Cirillo said her agency will continue its three-pronged strategy of enforcement, education and technology. However, she said, resources will be shuffled so safety inspectors are no longer doing industry outreach. Her short-term goal is to double the number of compliance reviews by inspectors.

For the full story, see the Sept. 6 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.