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Wide-Ranging Transportation Bill Introduced In The Legislature Today
TORONTO, Feb. 21 /CNW/ - The Ontario government has introduced new
legislation today to improve road safety, ease congestion and increase public
transit ridership, Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar announced.
"While Ontario's roads are the safest in North America, they are not safe
enough, not when 15,000 people were killed or injured in the last five years
while crossing the road," Takhar said. "The transit and safety bill introduced
today would protect the most vulnerable people in our society - children and
seniors - by targeting some of the worst driving offences."
Almost half of all fatal collisions involve speed. The legislation, if
passed, would crack down on drivers who speed in construction zones, and fail
to stop or yield the right of way to pedestrians at crossings.
"Our latest numbers show more than 84 per cent of all fatal and injury
related collisions happen on municipal roads, so that's where our focus is,"
said Takhar. "We are doing what needs to be done to protect people in their
communities across Ontario."
Some highlights of the proposed wide-ranging legislation would include:
- Improving safety at all pedestrian crossings, by increasing
penalties
- Doubling speeding fines in construction zones to better protect
construction workers
- Allowing police to clear and reopen highways faster after collisions
and spills occur
- Enforcing High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to encourage carpooling and
transit use.
The Ontario government believes this new legislation, if passed, would
build on the safety improvements of Bill 73, An Act to Protect Children And
Youth on Ontario's Roads, which was passed in December 2004.
By making our roads safer, the Ontario government is building strong
communities.
Disponible en français
www.mto.gov.on.ca
Backgrounder
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ONTARIO IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY AND REDUCING CONGESTION
The Transit and Road Safety Bill introduced in the Legislature today
proposes wide-ranging legislation to improve safety and reduce congestion on
roads and highways across the province.
Eighty-four percent of all collisions happen on municipal roads. And
almost half of all fatal collisions involve speed. The government would
improve safety by cracking down on drivers who speed in construction zones,
and who fail to stop or yield the right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks
and pedestrian crossovers.
Over the past five years, 15,000 people have been killed or injured
crossing the road. In Toronto, 42 of that city's 74 road-related deaths in
2003 involved pedestrians. Research shows a driver is almost six times more
likely to kill or injure someone while travelling more than 30 km/h over the
speed limit.
Between 1999 and 2003, there were 50 people killed and more than 3,000
hurt in collisions in provincial and municipal highway work zones.
The Transit and Road Safety Bill would, if passed:
- Improve safety on local roads by doubling fines and applying demerit
points for drivers who do not stop or yield the right of way at
pedestrian and school crossings
- Improve safety for construction workers by doubling speeding fines
in construction zones
- Allow all municipalities to set 30 k/h speed limit in areas where
traffic calming measures are in place (e.g., speed bumps).
The Ontario government is committed to making public transit more
convenient and reliable. Better service gets more people on transit, and out
of their cars.
The Transit and Road Safety Bill would, if passed:
- Clear the way to designate and enforce High Occupancy Vehicle lanes
to encourage carpooling
- Allow land to be dedicated for new carpool lots and transit stations
during planning stages
- Improve transit commute times by allowing transit vehicles to
pre-empt traffic signals to lengthen a green light or change a red
light to green sooner. (Currently this applies to transit vehicles
in Toronto only).
The Ontario government takes identity theft seriously. It has become the
fastest growing crime in Canada and the U.S. The Transit and Road Safety Bill,
if passed, would introduce higher penalties for the fraudulent use of a
driver's licence. The minimum fine would increase from $60 to $400 and the
maximum fine from $500 to $50,000.
Other elements of the bill, if passed, would:
- Create offences for flying vehicle parts
- Improve daily commercial vehicle inspection standards
- Allow for the use of studded tires on vehicles in Northern Ontario
- Allow for faster clearance of highway incidents by clarifying police
powers to remove, or order the removal of vehicles and debris.
Ontario's roads are the safest in North America. The Ontario government
believes the Transit and Road Safety Bill, if passed, would further improve
safety, public transit use, and help ease congestion. Safer roads, and better
transit, help build stronger communities.
Disponible en français
www.mto.gov.on.ca
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For further information: Danna O'Brien, Minister's Office, (416) 327-1815; Bob Nichols, Communications Branch, Ministry of Transportation, (416) 327-1158
Other news releases disseminated by this ministry
