Last month, Dr. Assad Kotaite was acclaimed to a tenth consecutive term as President of the Council of ICAO. His term of office is until 2004, and he may be the longest-serving leader of any international body.
There were 2912 complaints filed during the report's period - most of those, 1664, were received in the later half of the reporting period, namely the first six months of 2001. In total, the complaints referred to over 8000 separate issues.
73% of the complaints involved three types: 1) quality of service, 2) schedules and 3) baggage handling.
Hood recommends that airlines publish performance information on such items as arrivals and departures, lost and delayed baggage, denied boarding, flight cancellations and rescheduling.
Passengers with complaints about air service should first deal with the carrier about the problem. If the situation is not acceptably resolved, a complaint may be filed to the Complaints Commissioner as follows:
Canadian Transportation Agency
Air Travel Complaints Commissioner
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N9
Fax: (819) 953.5686
Website:
http://www.cta.gc.ca
The website has a special section outlining the complaints process.
The Canadian Transportation Agency, which operates the Air Travel Complaints Commissioner's office, has a toll-free information line at 1 888 222.2592, business days from 8 am to 8 pm Eastern Time. There is also a toll-free TTY/TDD line for callers with hearing-related disabilities: 1 800 669.5575.
The toll-free numbers are for information only. Complaints would have to be filed by mail, fax or through the special section on the CTA's website (www.cta.gc.ca).
But CUTA warns this comes at a time when there is a lack of sustainable funding programs to support the increased demands on these systems.
Michael Roschlau, CUTA's President and CEO, warned that "the economic competitiveness of Canadian cities will depend on public transit's ability to expand. All levels of government have a responsibility to ensure a high quality of life in our cities, and increased access to public transit is an integral part of that quality."
CUTA: http://www.cutaactu.ca.
TTC fares cover 80% of operating costs, while the City of Toronto pays the remaining 20%, the lowest government support of any North American transit system. The province of Ontario withdrew from municipal operating funding, but the City of Toronto is also responsible for much of the reduced funding levels at the TTC. Riders will pay an even higher share if city funding continues to be scaled back.
A small property tax increase of $7.80 per $100 000 assessment value, plus an extra two cents per litre of fuel is part of the new funding support. But transit riders will be hit with the biggest increases as of 1st April 2002, with 25 extra cents for a one-zone fare (for a $2 cash fare), and 50 extra cents for the two- and three-zone fares (for $3 and $4 case fares respectively). Monthly pass prices will not increase for now.
Much of this is due to the development of "Ciclo-Rutas", 300 km of dedicated bicycle paths. Also, a "Ciclovia" occurs on Sundays and holidays, where automobiles are banned from many city roads, to allow their use by cyclists, pedestrians, and even roller-bladers.
Former Bogotá Mayor Enrique Peñalosa was responsible for bringing in a number of supporting measures for bicycling and transit. He recently won the Stockholm Challenge Prize for these results.
Bogotá's TransMilenio bus transitway also opened a year ago. The bus stations also feature bicycle parking and connections with the Ciclo-Ruta network.
More details are available from a press release on the website of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy: http://www.itdp.org.
VIA Rail service between Victoria and Courtenay may no longer have a railway to operate on after March 2002.
Eastern Canada service would normally have off-peak ridership levels for the fall, but ridership remains at peak season levels. Western transcontinental ridership remains strong, with international tourist travel levels returning to normal.
Ontario-Quebec Corridor ridership remains 15-20% higher than last year, even after settling from the wake of air industry disruptions.
There was a 21st November strike or lockout deadline in keeping with the Canada Labour Code. No further word was available at press time regarding any labour actions, or whether any settlement was reached.
CPR will also conduct Holiday Trains in the U.S. Midwest and in New York state. The Midwest train begins in Chicago, and will meet the Canadian Holiday Train in Moose Jaw on 14th December.
The CPR Holiday Train is a charitable event, supporting Canadian food banks. Entertainers will perform from a special stage car at 30 locations along the route.
Leach has held various directorships in recent years, generally unrelated to the environment or transportation sectors. He did work with a recent vehicle engine conversion programme which sought to replace diesel fuel with natural gas.
The Centre's website: www.cstctd.org.
The Southerner route remains in service until at least 10 February 2002 due to an agreement for short-term support by the New Zealand government and local officials.
There remains to be decided the long-term future of the Southerner, which may depend on how much the cities along the route will be able to contribute.
Meanwhile, Tranz Rail plans to sell other non-core passenger rail services such as the long distance Tranz Scenic line and the Wellington commuter rail service Tranz Metro.
In late November, there were reports that New Zealand Bus Limited wants the government to approve a joint venture with Wellington Regional Council to take over Tranz Metro. The bus company is owned by UK firm Stagecoach.
There was also an agreement with the New Zealand government to sell the Auckland rail corridor for NZD$81 million, which is expected to complete by year's end.
Like in North America, the New Zealand rail industry must also face the trucking industry situation. On 3 October 2001, Tranz Rail issued a press statement that government agencies needed to get tough with truck safety.
17 trucking companies were being investigated for safety concerns. There are also proposals to allow 50 tonne monster trucks on New Zealand roads. Meanwhile, 20% of highway fatalities in that nation involve trucks, with the driver being at fault in an growing share of these cases.
Tranz Rail: http://www.tranzrail.co.nz.
RAC blasted CTA for having "misinterpreted, by accident or design, a consultant's report for Environment Canada to suggest truck emissions rates are lower than locomotives.". It was pointed out that the CTA confused theory with practice when it comes to engine standards and performance, as it relates to vehicle emissions. Rail remains more fuel efficient than trucking.
RAC noted that the Environment Canada report in question, Trucks and Air Emissions, showed that trucks require five times as much fuel as rail per tonne per kilometre. All types of emissions studied are greater for trucks than for rail.
While the report claims an 80% theoretical reduction in truck emissions, there was no data to indicate that the actual trucking emissions have reduced. But increased trucking activity and installation of devices to shut off truck pollution controls have offset any reduction in emissions.
Over half of the locomotives are to be manufactured at the Sahugan Locomotive plant in Mexico (owned by Bombardier). Meanwhile, the Alstom locomotive plant in Montréal has laid off 500 workers for want of orders!
"What is the Canadian Government doing financing a huge locomotive order for a large and prosperous American railway that competes with Canadian railways that must soldier on with older locomotives or pay for new ones out of their own pockets?" Harry Gow, President of Transport 2000 Canada asked Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew in a letter sent today.
"Why does the Government of Canada finance work for a Mexican plant while Canadian workers are on EI?" Gow asks.
Thanks also to Harry Gow and Mike Olivier for additional items this issue.
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