4 TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND SECURITY

Canadians' confidence in transportation security in all modes continued to increase. There were fewer fatalities in the road and marine transportation modes; however, there was an increase in fatalities in aviation and a slight increase in rail. The number of reported accidents decreased in the road and marine transportation modes, and increased for rail and aviation transportation modes.

Transport Canada promotes the safety and security of Canada's transportation system, which consists of the air, marine, rail and road modes of transportation, and includes the transportation of dangerous goods. The aim of a safe and secure transportation system is to protect the country's citizens from those occurrences that result in the loss of or damage to life, health and property. It also enables the efficient flow of people and goods, protects the environment from pollution that can result from occurrences, and is an essential component for a healthy population, a high quality of life, and a prosperous economy.

Through policy development, rule making, monitoring and enforcement, and outreach activities, Transport Canada supports the safety and security objective. For all modes of transportation, the department establishes and implements legislation, regulations, standards and policies. Its monitoring and enforcement activities include issuing licences, certificates, registrations and permits; monitoring compliance through audits, inspections and surveillance; and taking appropriate enforcement action in instances of non-compliance. In particular, the department has inspectors who monitor the system to make sure the rules are being followed, and, if required, have the means to enforce the policies and rules. Outreach activities make transportation system users and industry aware of the requirements and involve efforts to promote, educate and increase awareness of safety and security issues.

Many different stakeholders share the responsibility for the safety and security of the transportation system. Transport Canada collaborates with other federal departments and agencies whose programs and services may be affected by transportation activities. For example, with respect to promoting aviation security, this responsibility is shared with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA). CATSA is responsible for delivering air transport security services in accordance with Transport Canada regulations and standards.

Transport Canada works with provincial, territorial and municipal governments particularly with respect to the maintenance of the highway system, enforcement of road safety and the co-delivery of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) program. Transport Canada also works closely with transportation sector industries, agencies and associations, all of which have a vested interest in transportation infrastructure, the regulatory regime and transportation safety and security.

In addition, Transport Canada collaborates with other countries, such as the United States and Mexico, and with other international partners, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to harmonize safety and security standards and to share best practices in safety and security systems.

Canada's transportation system is already one of the safest and most secure in the world. Even so, the country continues to work diligently to further improve the system. Transport Canada measures the public confidence in the safety and security of each transportation mode. The data reveal that, in the case of all four transportation modes, at least 95 per cent of those Canadians who have an opinion give either a moderately or a very safe and secure rating. These most recent available ratings (March 2005) are shown in Figure 4-1.

FIGURE 4-1: PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE RATING OF THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF AIR, RAIL, MARINE AND ROAD TRAVEL

"Canada's transportation system includes air, rail, road, and marine travel... How would you rate the overall SAFETY AND SECURITY of each of the following modes of transportation?"

Source: Perceptions of Air Travel Safety and Security in Canada: Wave IV, EKOS Research Associates (April 29, 2005)

Transportation safety is measured by the number of occurrences that result in an accident. In 2005, there were a record low number of accidents in marine. However, there was an increase in accidents for the rail and aviation transportation modes and for those involving the transportation of dangerous goods. The number of fatalities increased in both rail and aviation transportation. The number of fatalities decreased both for marine transportation and for where the transportation of dangerous goods was involved.

The number of road fatalities decreased in 2004 (latest data). Moreover, the number of transportation-related fatalities has remained below the previous five-year averages in aviation, road, and the transportation of dangerous goods. With the exception of a fluctuation in 2004 for rail, the safety performance record observed in the three other transportation modes has contributed toward a long-term downward trend in accidents reported over the past 10 years.

Implementing the Safety Management Systems (SMS) is one of the key evolving strategic directions being undertaken by Transport Canada to further improve on the transportation safety performance over the long term. The SMS is a formal framework for integrating safety performance into day-to-day operations within the transportation industry. Implementation of SMS regulations is well under way in rail; the marine SMS is moving toward increased adoption for operators of Canadian domestic vessels. New SMS regulations for aviation came into effect in May 2005.

In 2005, with respect to transportation security, Transport Canada continued a number of activities to further enhance transportation security, including legislative and regulatory enhancements, programs, and international initiatives. The department also actively contributed to federal government initiatives to enhance security, such as the National Security Policy and the Security and Prosperity Partnership.

Canadians are confident in the security of air travel. This confidence continued to increase in 2005. For example, one half (49 per cent) of those surveyed reported having high confidence in the security of air travel. This confidence has been growing since 2002, when only slightly more than one third (36 per cent) expressed confidence. This is an increase in confidence of 13 percentage points over the last three years. Canadians also believe that there are sufficient security procedures in place to protect them. Even if they do not feel immune to the activities of terrorists, they do, nevertheless, feel confident in the effectiveness of the security measures that have been implemented.

Developments and initiatives concerning the safety and security of Canada's transportation system during 2005 are reviewed in this chapter. It begins with a review by mode of the 2005 safety records and is followed by a discussion and review of transportation security and the related enhancements undertaken in 2005.

Transportation Safety

Transportation Security