Transport 2000 Canada Hotline

29 March 2001

Summary

1 - Coop Railway Proposal
2 - CN Proposes Shipper Rebate
3 - Transport 2000 Western Meeting
4 - NAFTA promotes trucking
5 - Airline Complaints report
6 - TTC fares raised
7 - Toronto Transit priority

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline for 29 March 2001, This is Hotline Issue 595, recorded on Thursday, March 29th, Harry Gow reporting. Thanks to Darrell Richards for most of the following items.

1 - Coop Railway Proposal

On 25 January 2001, the Brotherhood of Maintenance Way Employees (BMWE) signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian National Railway to enable BMWE to develop a regional grain collection system in cooperation with farmers and communities. BMWE is part of a western community/farmer network called the Prairie Alliance for the Future (PAFF). The system would initially involve leasing 1600 kilometres of CNR line in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. More lines may be transferred to the new cooperative entity in the future. The Canadian Pacific Railway has also expressed interest in this new concept.

Western farmers have lost control and ownership of the grain marketing, handling and transportation systems. Elevators and branch lines are closing, thereby transferring costs to farmers and roads. Foreign transnational companies have increased their market power by taking over or integrating with cooperative elevator companies, building inland terminals, and setting the conditions for incremental elimination of the Canadian Wheat Board.

The private sector short line railway model has not been entirely successful for grain dependent branch lines. Most of the recent private short line trackage on the prairies has been created in northern areas where there are non-grain commodities. The future of grain dependant private short lines is in question. For example, the first short line set up in central Alberta has had to abandon much of its trackage because the elevators closed.

A private regional railway system focused on railways alone will fail. There is no future for branch lines -- unless a system approach is used to attract grain to those lines. The PAFF plan for a vertically integrated regional grain system can attract grain to keep branch lines in operation.

By dealing with branch lines, grain collection and grain marketing in a vertically integrated system approach, it can secure a supply of grain for the branch lines. Moreover, this would be compatible with international trade rules.

2 - CN Proposes Shipper Rebate

CN President Paul Tellier has proposed that governments rebate railway fuel taxes not to the railways but to shippers. This would level the playing field with trucks that use public roads by giving shippers an added incentive to shift freight from road to rail. CN estimates the annual value of the tax credit at $160 million, but it would save taxpayers about $500 million a year in road construction and maintenance costs.

3 - Transport 2000 Western Meeting

John Baaker, former President of Transport 2000 Alberta, travelled to Moose Jaw to participate at the Western Canada Transport 2000 meeting. John also publishes the impressive western newsletter - in colour to boot.

4 - NAFTA Report Promotes Trucking

A report for the NAFTA environmental commission gave a public relations boost to the trucking industry last week when it said that trucks will be cleaner than trains by the year 2020, in terms of nitrogen oxides and particulates. But it also said that rail will be ten times less polluting in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Critics have said that the projection of cleaner trucks is based on flawed assumptions.

The report assumes that truck NOX and particulate emission reductions will improve about 900 per cent faster than for rail. This assumes there will be no technology transfer and that governments will not change rail standards between 2005 and 2020. It also assumes that truck traffic on trade highways such as the 401 can double or even quadruple without increasing emissions from traffic slowed in added congestion.

5 - Airline Complaints report

Airline Complaints Commissioner Bruce Hood released his report on complaints on 29th March. 1248 written complaints were sent in, 80% about Air Canada.

Main categories were service quality (poor communication, negative attitudes, lack of respect); poor timekeeping with passengers not being adequately informed, and baggage problems with poor attitudes among involved personnel.

Mr. Hood recommends:

1. that carriers recognize the problems;
2. Prompt reports to passengers about changes and delays;
3. Airlines should give access to conditions and charges, with a concise document to be given passengers over the counter &/or by travel agents.

Bruce Hood says passengers deserve better than they now get treated. We say that when mediation fails, Mr. Hood should be given powers by the MOT to impose settlements on the airlines, as in France (SNCF and AF).

6 - TTC fares raised

The Toronto Transit Commission will charge $1.80 per token as of June 1st. Current fare is $1.70 per token, cash fare remains at $2.00. This is a result of inadequate support from governments says Commissioner Rick Ducharme, in essence.

7 - Toronto Transit priority

Toronto Transport planning chief has told citizens that instead of expanded roads, the Toronto City plan is to give transit vehicles priority on streets, and to extend streetcar, Scarborough RT and bus lines in the suburbs.

Finally...

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