Forest industry workers and other users of B.C.’s back roads are reminded to stay in tune with upcoming changes to the mobile radio frequencies that help ensure safe passage on many of the province’s resource roads.

A provincewide, safety initiative to standardize radio communications, call procedures and signage on forest service roads and select resource roads gets underway on May 31, 2014 in B.C.’s Cariboo region.

The 100 Mile House Resource District will introduce new resource road radio channels on May 31, 2014, while radio channel changes in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Resource District are due to take effect June 16, 2014. Other districts will follow suit later this summer, however implementation dates have yet to be determined.

All users of affected resource roads will be required to reprogram their radios to incorporate the new resource road channels. Since the transition will be gradual, road users are advised to retain current radio frequencies until they are no longer required.

New signs posted on local resource roads will advise which radio channels to use and the location calling intervals, with drivers required to indicate their direction of travel. Where posted, road users using mobile radios must use the posted radio channels and call protocols.

Local resource road safety committees have worked together to implement these changes in co-operation with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Industry Canada. All road users are reminded that forest service roads are not radio-controlled, but radio-assisted and therefore it’s essential to drive safely according to road and weather conditions.

More information, including radio communications protocols, radio channels, maps and signs, are available online at: www.for.gov.bc.ca/hth/engineering/Road_Radio_Project.htm

Media Contacts:

Greig Bethel
Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261