Safety or Setback? Prefab Transport Rules Are Questioned

Are new transport rules creating more problems than they solve? That’s the question after legislation restricting the movement of fully built prefab homes on national highways left builders scrambling. Several homes are already constructed and ready for delivery, but under the updated rules, moving them has become a logistical nightmare. Earlier today, C.E.O. Chester Williams sat down with builders to find a way forward, ideas like police escorts and nighttime transport are on the table. Williams says he’s committed to helping with homes already built, but any real change will need Cabinet approval. So, is this about safety, or a sign of policy gaps that hurt businesses and consumers alike?

 

On the Phone: Chester Williams, C.E.O., Ministry of Transport

“While we look at the whole issue I can say emphatically that looking at the video in respect of both incidents, it is clear that those involved in movement of the homes that were involved in these incidents complied with the requirements of their permits. It can be seen that the houses were well lit and it had front and rear escorts with the amber lights and sufficient warnings were also in place in respect of both incidents. So, one can argue that the accidents were not because of the houses being moved at nighttime and because of the movers being negligent in terms of the movement of those houses. The houses to be moved on the highway if the houses are twenty feet wide or less, they may be allowed to move them whole and if the houses are above twenty feet in width they will have to move them disassembled. One of the concerns they have is that they have a number of homes constructed that is above twenty-feet in width and they need to be moved to their new owners. Those operations has been on pause since our last directive. I believe in being fair the homes have been constructed, it would be unfair to say tear down the homes and take it in pieces. That would double the cost to consumers. So we will see how we can assist them in the movement of those homes with police escort or transport escort.”

 

Homebuilders also agreed to produce an infomercial on the transportation of home transportation and to produce public notices on the transportation of these homes.