Minister Garneau introduces legislation to support Canadian travellers and promote economic growth

Transportation Modernization Act

OTTAWA, May 16, 2017 /CNW/ - Canada is a vast country that relies on a complex transportation network to move its citizens and its goods. All Canadians benefit from a competitive and efficient transportation system.

The Government of Canada today introduced legislation to provide a better experience for travellers and a transparent, fair, efficient and safer freight rail system to facilitate trade and economic growth. 

This proposed legislation is the result of over a year of consultation and is informed by the feedback and guidance of citizens and stakeholders across the country. The Transportation Modernization Act would promote transparency, system efficiency and fairness. Key measures would include:

• establishing new air passenger rights;
• liberalizing international ownership restrictions for Canadian air carriers to provide travellers with more choice through increased competition;
• improving access, transparency, efficiency, and sustainable long-term investment in the freight rail sector; and
• increasing the safety of transportation in Canada by requiring railways to install voice and video recorders in locomotives.

Quote

"In a vast nation like Canada, Canadians rely on economically viable modes of transportation to travel and move commodities within the country, across the border, and to our ports for shipment overseas. The time has come to modernize our policies and practices to provide a safer, more competitive and respectful system that can respond to modern conditions and to Canadians' expectations.

When Canadians purchase an airline ticket, they expect the airline to provide the service that they paid for and to be treated with respect. When things don't go the way they are planned, travellers deserve clear, transparent, fair and consistent compensation."

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

• On November 3, 2016, the Honourable Minister Garneau presented the Government of Canada's strategy for the future of transportation in Canada: Transportation 2030. Link to speech.
• On February 25, 2016, Minister Garneau tabled in Parliament the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) Review Report.

Related Products

• Backgrounder: Air Travellers' Initiatives
• Backgrounder: Picking up Steam: Growing Canada's Economy with Modernized Rail Transportation
• Backgrounder: Locomotive voice and video recorders

Associated Links

• Webpage of Transportation 2030

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SOURCE Transport Canada

Contacts: Delphine Denis, Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, [email protected], 613-991-0700; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, [email protected], 613-993-0055