Government introducing new bill to protect Canadian air passenger rights

May 17 2017, 1:11 am

Canadian travellers will be relieved to hear that Ottawa is working on protecting their rights.

On Tuesday, Minister of Transport Marc Garneau introduced the Transportation Modernization Act, a proposed legislation that would provide a “better experience for travellers and a transparent, fair, efficient and safer freight rail system to facilitate trade and economic growth.”

The legislation is the result of over a year of consultations and feedback from citizens and stakeholders across Canada. The proposed new bill would introduce measures that would establish new air passenger rights, allowing international ownership for Canadian air carriers so that travellers have more choice through competition, as well as increasing the safety of transportation in Canada by requiring railways to install voice and video recorders in locomotives.

“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,” said Garneau in a statement.

The new bill comes in the heels of the recent news regarding the ill treatment of passengers aboard US flights.

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

Bill C-49 would protect passengers on airlines flying in, into or out of Canada.

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