The coroner’s inquest into the deadly OC Transpo bus crash at Westboro station in January 2019 concluded with mixed opinions on proposed safety measures for bus riders in Ottawa. While there was broad agreement on certain recommendations, including stricter refresher training for drivers and increased monitoring, significant differences emerged over issues such as driver-facing cameras and speed limit reductions around Transitway stations.
On January 11, 2019, a packed double-decker bus collided with a shelter canopy at Westboro station, killing three passengers—Judy Booth, Bruce Thomlinson, and Anja Van Beek—and injuring many others. The driver, Aissatou Diallo, was acquitted of all charges in 2021, but the inquest aimed to ensure such a tragedy wouldn’t occur again.
One key area of consensus was the need for improved driver training, especially for those involved in serious collisions. All parties, including the families of the victims, the city, and the union representing bus drivers, supported proposals for extended refresher courses, with a minimum of five days of retraining for probationary drivers following a preventable crash.
Another area of agreement was the importance of one-on-one training with experienced drivers, particularly for new operators. A dedicated fleet of training buses was also recommended to ensure drivers gain experience with different bus types.
However, the discussion became more contentious when it came to proposals for reducing speed limits and the installation of driver-facing cameras. The city opposed suggestions to temporarily lower the speed limit to 30 km/h at stations like Billings Bridge and Greenboro, arguing that there was no clear evidence these canopies posed a significant risk. On the other hand, both the victims’ families and inquest counsel supported the speed limit reduction as a precautionary measure.
The union representing OC Transpo drivers, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 279, took issue with several proposals, including the idea of restricting new drivers from certain bus types and changes to the seniority system that determines shift allocation. The union’s lawyer argued that these changes would disrupt the balance in the workforce and could be unworkable given the city’s current bus fleet and staffing challenges.
One of the most significant proposals involved the installation of driver-facing cameras on all OC Transpo buses. While the city and others saw this as a necessary safety measure, the union expressed concerns about privacy, advocating for further consultation before such measures were implemented.
Other recommendations pitched at the inquest included increasing the frequency of driver license checks, studying the effectiveness of barriers on double-decker buses, and calling on the federal government to consider investigations into serious bus accidents by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. While the jurors are not bound by these recommendations, there was a call for the government to provide funding for their implementation.
The inquest, which has been emotionally taxing for the victims’ families, resumes on Monday morning with the jury expected to issue its final recommendations. Whatever direction the inquest takes, the focus remains on ensuring that public transit in Ottawa becomes safer for all passengers in the future.
Source: Swifteradio.com
