In Alberta, oversize vehicles require both provincial and municipal approvals, so carriers often require multiple transactions for each move. The TRAVIS (Transportation Routing and Vehicle Information System) Multi-Jurisdiction (MJ) permitting system was developed by Alberta Transportation to support industry’s need for a simplified permitting process. TRAVIS provides a single point of contact for applicants, with multipoint approvals. The MJ permitting process begins with a client submitting an application using TRAVIS Web. The application includes carrier information, dates, vehicle data and requested route. TRAVIS can generate an optimal route if required. TRAVIS contains bridge capacities, dimensional, road ban and construction restriction data, and applies the restrictions as required. TRAVIS runs the application data through the business rule module and decides if it can be auto-approved or requires manual review. TRAVIS Proper is used for provincial reviews. Once provincial approval is granted, municipal business rules are applied to decide on automatic or manual review. If municipal review is required, municipalities review the application in MJ, adding conditions as required and approving or rejecting the application. TRAVIS produces a single permit document, including all approvals and conditions, saving industry and enforcement the effort of managing multiple documents. TRAVIS processed over 158,000 permits in 2010. Future enhancements include further web-based tools and expansion to include utilities, railroads and resource companies in the permitting process. Alberta is interested in partnering with interested governments to promote and expand the use of TRAVIS. TRAVIS or compatible permitting systems could facilitate expanding the multi-jurisdiction concept to inter-provincial travel.
