Fix cross-border program.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Congressman Peter DeFazio and other critics of a pilot program that allows Mexican trucks access to U.S. highways have raised some legitimate questions about the safety of Mexican trucks and the rules governing their drivers.

The U.S. Senate responded to those concerns Tuesday by approving an amendment by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., to put the brakes on the pilot program.

That's a reasonable precaution. Now lawmakers must work with the Bush administration to make certain the pilot program addresses those concerns and then give the cross-border program the green light to resume as quickly as possible.

The debate over Mexican trucks has simmered in Congress and the courts since the North American Free Trade Agreement passed in 1993.

Since then, provisions of the treaty that allow long-haul goods to flow freely by truck within the United States, Mexico and Canada have been stalled because of well-grounded concerns about the pollution and safety levels of Mexican trucks - and because of protectionist efforts by the Teamsters and other organizations to undercut NAFTA.

Last week, DeFazio held a news conference in Washington, D.C., with a woman who lost three relatives in a California crash with a Mexican truck driver.

DeFazio, who chairs the House subcommittee on highways and transit that has jurisdiction over motor carriers, pledged to fight the pilot program. The Oregon Democrat says it does not ensure that the 100 participating Mexican trucking companies meet U.S. safety standards such as regulating hours of service, vehicle safety, driver training and licensing and drug testing.

Based on Tuesday's 74-24 vote in the Senate - and earlier House approval of a similar provision - those concerns are shared by many Democrats and Republicans. Congressional leaders should establish a bipartisan task force and give it a 60-day deadline to work with administration officials to make sure the pilot program addresses these concerns.

A report on the pilot program by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation indicates that significant safety precautions have been put in place.

The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has said it will go beyond statutory requirements and examine every Mexican truck to make certain it meets safety standards.

Under the pilot program, none of the Mexican carriers would be allowed to carry hazardous materials or haul cargo between U.S. points.

As soon as lawmakers are satisfied that adequate safety and environmental precautions are in place, the pilot program should be allowed to proceed, keeping in mind that pilot programs by definition are designed to be testing grounds and works in progress.

Congressional leaders should make certain the program is not placed on permanent hold to appease the Teamsters and its labor allies who want to knock off the Mexican competition before they gain a foothold in this country. Nor should the increasingly shrill nativist and anti-immigration voices undercut this nation's commitment to honor its trade agreements.

America's commitment to free trade and its relationship to Mexico dictate that the cross-border pilot trucking program should resume - but only after safety and environmental concerns are adequately addressed.