Make TTC An Essential Service: Liberal MPP
Posted February 22, 2010 11:38 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A Liberal MPP is pushing for the TTC to be made an essential service.
Former Health Minister David Caplan plans to introduce a private member’s bill to regulate the Toronto Transit Commission.
“Look at the history: Every time we have a disruption of the transit system, ridership plummets. People won’t take transit if they can’t rely upon the service,” Caplan said on Monday.
However, the Liberal government says that’s not in the cards. Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne says the bill doesn’t reflect the government’s position.
“This is really a discussion that has to happen at the municipal level,” Wynne said.
Caplan said buses, subways and streetcars are needed to keep the city running, and residents are fed up with poor customer service.
The bill would prevent a strike or a lockout at the transit commission and lays out an arbitration process in cases where bargaining breaks down.
“Essential service legislation ends up costing more because it leads to an arbitration process,” TTC Chair and city councillor Adam Giambrone said.
Last week, Caplan proposed a private member’s bill that would require Ontarians to pay the full price for having safe drinking water. Those proceeds would go toward repairing and upgrading pipes and other infrastructure.
