Canadian Transportation Agency issues What We Heard Summary Report on accessible transportation

GATINEAU, QC, June 1, 2017 /CNW/ - As part of the Regulatory Modernization Initiative, the Canadian Transportation Agency has issued a What We Heard Summary Report for its first phase of consultations on accessible transportation. The report highlights the key points that have emerged so far, such as the need for a clear, relevant and comprehensive set of rules for all modes of transport, and for those rules to be expressed in mandatory regulations rather than voluntary codes.

The accessibility needs of Canadians are varied and are increasing as the population ages and the percentage of Canadians with disabilities continues to grow. In a recent Government of Canada consultation on creating new national accessibility legislation, participants ranked transportation as third among key areas of focus for the Government of Canada.

To date, during this consultative process, the Agency has received over 190 submissions from disability rights organizations, industry, and other interested Canadians. Comments and proposals will be taken into consideration in the development of the regulation. As part of the consultation, the Agency will also be meeting with its Accessibility Advisory Committee on June 19, 2017, to get their views.

The report is being released during National AccessAbility Week. The week celebrates inclusion and accessibility in communities and workplaces across the country. Where accessibility of transportation comes into play, the Agency fulfills an important role for all Canadians with disabilities.

Quote

"Equal access to transportation services for persons with disabilities is a fundamental human right. The Agency is very pleased with the level of engagement and feedback we have received in our consultations on accessible transportation regulations. We look forward to continuing the discussion with our Accessibility Advisory Committee in June."

- Scott Streiner, Chair and CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency

Quick Facts

Since 1988, the Agency has been protecting the fundamental human rights of persons with disabilities to an accessible transportation network. The Agency does this by:

administrating regulations and standards to advance the goal of removing obstacles to travellers with disabilities;
resolving complaints about accessibility through facilitation, mediation or adjudication; and
undertaking proactive audits of transportation service providers.

The first phase of consultations on accessible transportation will continue over the summer. Interested parties can submit comments at consultations@otc-cta.gc.ca.
Over the course of the rest of this year, the Agency plans to continue with the three phases of its consultations:

Air transportation (on-going);
Consumer protection for travellers (Fall 2017); and
Rail transportation (Fall 2017).

About the Agency

The Canadian Transportation Agency is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator with the powers of a superior court. The Agency has three core mandates: keeping the national transportation system running efficiently and smoothly, protecting the human right of persons with disabilities to an accessible transportation network and providing consumer protection for air passengers. To help advance these mandates, the Agency makes ground rules that establish the rights and responsibilities of transportation service providers and users and level the playing field among competitors. It also resolves disputes using a range of tools from facilitation and mediation to arbitration and adjudication and ensures that transportation providers and users are aware of their rights and responsibilities and how the Agency can help them.

www.otc-cta.gc.ca

SOURCE Canadian Transportation Agency

CONTACT: Media Relations, Canadian Transportation Agency, media@otc-cta.gc.ca, 819-934-3448