Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

6 July 2002

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 661, recorded on 6 July 2002, David Leibold reporting.

In this issue...

1 - European mid-air plane disaster

71 people are dead after two jets crashed in flight on 2nd July. One plane was a Russian Bashkirian Airlines chartered Tupolev 154, the other was a DHL Boeing 757 cargo plane. The Russian plane was enroute to Spain, carrying children for a holiday. The cargo plane was enroute to Belgium from Bahrain. The crash occurred at over 10 km altitude over southern Germany.

Air traffic controllers in Switzerland issued a warning 50 seconds before disaster. The Russian plane apparently did not take any evasive action until at least a second warning from air traffic control, by which time the collision was 25 seconds away. While a collision can be averted on less than a minute's notice, German pilot union officials have indicated there should normally be at least 5 to 10 minutes warning.

Further reports indicated that at the time of collision there was only one Swiss air traffic controller on duty, and that a collision avoidance system was shut down for maintenance.

Two of the dead were on the DHL cargo plane: the captain and a Canadian co-pilot. The other 69 deaths were from those aboard the Russian charter plane. There were no deaths on the ground from falling wreckage.

2 - Amtrak service safe for the moment

U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak is still operating, despite a continuing fight for financial survival.

New Amtrak President and CEO David Gunn appeared before a Senate committee on transportation in Washington on 20th June. At that occasion, he said "(Amtrak) had lost credibility on many fronts and its management structure was ineffectual. The company made bad decisions while pursuing an impossible goal of self-sufficiency mandated by Congress." Gunn declared that Amtrak was worth saving, noting that passenger rail and urban transit systems must be expanded to prevent a "gradual loss of personal mobility". But he also noted that Amtrak's business practices would have to change, such as the designation of approximately 85 vice-presidents. Gunn also noted that cancelling the long distance trains, as was threatened earlier this year, would not solve Amtrak's real problems. Amtrak will request $1.2 billion from Congress in the 2003 fiscal year, but there will be public transparency regarding financial and operating matters.

A tentative financial plan for Amtrak's immediate needs was worked out between Department of Transportation and Amtrak in late June. Congress will be expected to act on this following its July recess.

Details available on http://www.amtrak.com

3 - Funerals for Guy Chartrand, Eileen Jackson

As follow-up to last week's obituaries, two funerals of significance to Transport 2000 occurred on Wednesday 3rd July.

At Guy Chartrand's funeral in Montréal-area Île Perrot, homage was paid to Guy's quicksilver character, his devotion to the public good, and his place in his family. We learned that as a very small child, he was enamoured of trams and buses, and by school age he knew every MTC route, and had developed an interest in fires and firefighting! On graduation from high school he began his career with the Post Office, and subsequently the federal Minister of Transport's office.

Guy's funeral was attended by several representatives of Transport 2000 Québec and Transport 2000 Canada. Federal Transport Minister David Collenette and representatives from his office were in attendance. Also attending were federal representatives, the head of Montreal transit agency STM, Malcolm Andrews from VIA Rail and many others. Guy's passing was well marked!

In Regina, Eileen Jackson's funeral was conducted at St. Paul's Cathedral (where Transport 2000 Saskatchewan long maintained its office). George Wooldridge represented Transport 2000. Her son Michael, western co-founder of Transport 2000 Canada participated in the funeral rite in his role as ('part-time') clergyman.

4 - Update from Air Complaints Commissioner

Bruce Hood, Canada's Air Travel Complaints Commissioner, wants to hear reaction from airlines and consumer associations regarding ten recommendations in his third report. Airlines are called upon to improve their handling of customer interests, and to publish performance indicators such as time performance for arrivals and departures, lost baggage and "bumping" (denied boarding on aircraft). Consumers are being called on to learn more about their rights and responsibilities. The Commissioner is also seeking an expanded mandate to cover airline advertising practices, security and airport signage and facilities.

The deadline for feedback is 17th July.

The Commissioner's April 2002 report is available through the CTA website: http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/.

5 - Investigation into bus-boat sinking

Four tourists died when an amphibious tour vehicle sank in the Ottawa River 23rd June. The Lady Duck was a combination of truck and boat, used to conduct tours around the National Capital Region.

Federal investigators will attempt to float the Lady Duck vehicle on water as they try to determine the cause of its sudden sinking. The vehicle also sank in a similar case last year, in which no one was injured. The Transportation Safety Board is also investigating another case in Kingston on 15th June where a tour bus-boat's engine compartment began to take on water.

Despite the presence of recreational and tour vessels on the Ottawa River, there is no effective rescue capability in the Ottawa region. Scuba gear was unavailable for hours after the Lady Duck sank. There is potential on the Ottawa River for other services, such as hovercraft routes between Ontario and Quebec.

6 - Ferry gangway gives way

Three Yarmouth, NS ferry workers were injured 25th June when a gangway fell 10 metres to a concrete wharf. The gangway connected the Cat ferry with the terminal building. The gangway was being used to bring foot passengers on and off the Cat ferry which operates between Nova Scotia and Maine. At the time of the incident no passengers were in the gangway. Human Resources Development Canada is investigating, and Cat ferry schedules continue to operate, with foot passengers having to walk on vehicle ramps in the meantime.

7 - Major Board changes at Centre for Sustainable Transportation

Major changes were made to the Board of the Centre for Sustainable Transportation at its recent annual meeting. Charter Board member Roger Cameron, of the Railway Association of Canada, is now Chairman. Neal Irwin of the IBI Group becomes Vice-chair and Dr. Michael Roschlau of CUTA becomes Treasurer. Al Cormier regains the post of the Centre's President and Chief Executive Officer. Six new Board members were also elected.

The Centre has scheduled a regional workshop on Sustainable Transportation in Halifax on 9th September, concluding a series of workshops throughout Canada. After that, the Centre expects to develop a report on long-term achievement of sustainable transportation in Canada.

Centre Website: http://www.cstctd.org

8 - 250th anniversary of Halifax-Dartmouth ferry

The ferry service between Halifax and Dartmouth is 250 years old this year. Various events and activities are scheduled to mark this occasion.

Reference: Metro Transit.

9 - Vancouver marine expansion

In Vancouver, an expansion of marine facilities at Canada Place was officially opened on Canada Day. The $89 million project adds new berth facilities under the operation of the Vancouver Port Authority.

10 - New environmental assessment delays superhighway extension

An eastern extension of an Ontario toll highway will be delayed for years. Provincial officials have thrown out a 1994 environmental assessment for an eastern extension of Highway 407. A new environmental assessment will be required for the proposed stretch of tollway, from its current terminus in Pickering to connect with Highway 115 into Peterborough.

11 - Transit fare increases

Transit fares increased in Calgary, Ottawa and Regina on Canada Day.

12 - Iqaluit to test transit this fall

Transit buses will begin a test service in Iqaluit, Nunavut this September. City officials will determine if the results warrant a full-time transit service. Taxi drivers have opposed the plan, preferring that the city build up a dependence on roads, possibly with taxi vouchers to assist those who cannot afford full taxi fare.

Buses also ran in the Nunavut capital in the spring for the Arctic Winter Games, and a bus transit system once existed around 1980.

13 - New rail safety regulations

Recently-announced federal regulations mean Canadian railway workers are limited to 64 hour weeks, to limit fatigue among employees. The Railway Association of Canada welcomed this development, but was critical of federal plans to increase road trucking driving hours from 60 to 84 hours per week.

14 - Rapid bus accident causes lane switch

Montréal transit agency STM announced that its Line 505 reserved bus lane service serving Pie-IX will travel on the curb lanes instead of the middle lanes until further notice. This change resulted from a service incident on 12th June at the intersection of Mont-Royal.

15 - Toronto super-strike cancels Island ferry

The main ferry service for the Toronto Islands was shut down on 26th June as the city's so-called "outside" workers began a strike. A limited service for Island residents only is currently provided with a small tour boat. Private water taxis can also reach the Islands. The Island Airport is still accessible through a separate private ferry.

Toronto transit service, the TTC, is not directly affected, and its unions are not currently subject to labour disruptions. But there was at least one report of a bus route having to alter its course to avoid a pile-up of garbage. Meanwhile, Toronto "inside" workers also went on strike, which affects municipal office-based groups such as Moving the Economy.

Transport 2000 Ontario's Board meetings are at a Toronto-run community centre which is closed during this strike. There is no word on whether its July Board meeting would be cancelled, but a streetcar trip for 20th July is expected to proceed as scheduled.

Former TTC General Manager (now Amtrak chief) David Gunn noted that Toronto lacks a coherent labour strategy and that the city council itself is dysfunctional.

16 - Transit agency seeks GST exemption

The Toronto Transit Commission has applied to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for an exemption from GST payments. At stake is $130 million in tax payments since 1991, for which the TTC says it should have been exempted on constitutional grounds.

Canadian transit operators will be eagerly watching this development. While transit fares are mostly exempt from GST, the transit operations themselves must pay GST on any goods or services used. There is currently a partial 57% GST rebate available to municipal bodies, but that leaves transit companies paying millions of dollars in GST expenses.

17 - Higher Ottawa airport surcharge

Air travellers departing from Ottawa International Airport will be paying at least $5 more per flight in January 2003, when the airport improvement surcharge increases to $15.

The Ottawa International Airport Authority decided to raise the surcharge because lower passenger volumes meant lower net revenues from the fee. The surcharge was introduced in 1999 to fund an airport expansion project to accommodate more passengers.

Airports at Canada's seven largest urban population centres have airport improvement surcharges:

Airport           Fee(s)
================  ===============================
Toronto Pearson   $10 ($14 for flight connection)
Montreal Dorval   $15 (not included in ticket)
Vancouver         $5/$10/$15 (varies with flight; not included in ticket)
Ottawa            $10
Edmonton          $15
Calgary           $12
Winnipeg          $10 (has no current expansion project)

18 - Residents lose airport noise appeal

Vancouver-area residents who took the federal government and the Airport Authority to court suffered a setback this week. A BC Supreme Court decision which favoured the residents case was overturned by the Court of Appeal last week.

The residents' lawsuit sought compensation due to noise caused by the 1996 opening of a north runway at Vancouver International Airport. The residents could still appeal the matter to the Supreme Court of Canada.

19 - Various Canadian air items

20 - Calendar

15 July 2002 - Transport 2000 Canada Steering Committee in Ottawa.

20 July 2002 - Transport 2000 Ontario hosts streetcar trip in Toronto. Deadline for payment is 8 July 2002.

20 July 2002 - Transport 2000 Ontario Board meeting scheduled in Toronto. However, this will depend on the Toronto municipal strike situation and planning for alternate venue.

Thank you for calling the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline. Thanks also to Harry Gow for additional material for this issue. For additional information, please contact our web site at:

www.transport2000.ca.