It will take more than seven trains rumbling back and forth on a quiet Friday or Saturday to convince travelers that all is well.
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If the Confederation Line is still running in December, you’ll be able to board Ottawa light rail for free during the month.
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Notice the use of the word “yes”.
With so many stops and starts, it’s not that we’re all suddenly convinced that things will be fine from now on. It will take more than seven trains rumbling back and forth on a quiet Friday or Saturday to convince travelers that all is well. No one is taking LRT for granted, if it ever was.
Case in point: the government of Ontario. Just when Mayor Jim Watson thought he had turned down council rebels who wanted a full judicial investigation into the rail system (Watson prefers a more limited municipal auditor general investigation), Provincial Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney arrives to warn that there could still be a deeper dive. .
“We are looking for options that increase oversight of the project by the province in an effort to protect taxpayers and passengers from traffic,” Mulroney’s spokesman said. “This may include a judicial investigation, a review by the Ontario Auditor General, and other actions that may require provincial legislation. All options are on the table. “
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If it’s just a matter of cost, the Ottawa council should naturally applaud the province conducting a full investigation; costs would not appear on local property tax bills. But the idea doesn’t sit well with the council. And now darker insinuations are being made.
Former Mayor Bob Chiarelli, who is apparently planning another career in office, pointed out last week that an influential consultant on the LRT project, Brian Guest, had told him that his support of a judicial investigation would “screw up” a “loyal friend. “- that is, guest, who has worked on the LRT file in the past. What does that mean? How does it relate to contracts or LRT performance, if at all? It is very cloudy.
It would help the public trust, of course, if the city committed itself to full transparency about the system. Here, he deserves some credit: A group of independent experts recently provided a comprehensive public briefing on a safe return to service after the September derailment near Tremblay station. Of course, the long list of things it says the maintenance group, RTM, must do, and the role the city must play in overseeing this, is overwhelming.
Meanwhile, as an election year for city and provincial politicians approaches, at least some trains are running. Who wants to bet on whether that will be the case in December?
Reference-ottawasun.com