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Government/Legislation
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WHTI-compliant driver’s licenses to be developed in Canada, United States
At a recent trade symposium hosted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, Michael Chertoff, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, stated that enhanced driver’s licenses (EDLs), as well as frequent travelers’ Nexus cards and American passcards with special identification chips will be accepted for border crossing.
Both Canada and the United States are moving to provide travelers this choice for complying with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which requires passports or other WHTI-compliant documents for travelers crossing U.S. land borders and seaports beginning as early as next year. Air travelers are currently required to have passports.
New York, Arizona, Washington, and Vermont are developing EDLs; Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta are planning to develop them as well. British Columbia and Washington are expected to start a project using them at border points early next year.
The WHTI-compliant EDLs would only be issued to individuals who provide proof of identity, citizenship, and residence. A chip containing additional information would be embedded into the license. EDLs will cost more than a standard license.
Chertoff acknowledged that the transition is going to be inconvenient but that under the new plan border agents will be able to swipe a card and access information more quickly, in what he called “an efficient but more secure way of checking at the border.” Chertoff stated that both governments believe flow, security, and efficiency will be improved with EDLs.
Sources: Canadian Press, Travel Weekly
Fewer delays, more passenger protections may be reality by mid-2008
Last month U.S. President George W. Bush made several proposals for improving the state of domestic air travel by summer 2008, and has assigned specific government officials to further investigate and make recommendations.
Specifically, the President proposed:
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Doubling the compensation provided to travelers who are forced to wait more than two hours before being re-accommodated on another flight
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Evaluating the possibility of requiring airlines to help stranded passengers
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“Congestion pricing,” which would charge airlines higher fees for taking off and/or landing during peak times and/or at over-crowded airports like New York’s John F. Kennedy International
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Requiring airlines to provide the Department of Transportation more detailed information about why specific flights are delayed
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Evaluating the possibility of imposing penalties to airlines who operate “chronically delayed flights”
The modernization of the United States’ air traffic control system has been a large source of debate in relation to flight delays and cancellations. The Bush administration has submitted to Congress a bill that would update aviation technology through the adoption of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.
Sources: Business Travel News, The Associated Press, The Los Angeles Times
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