RAKOCEVIC: Metrolinx’s secrecy makes Ontarians less safe

QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Public Transit Tom Rakocevic (Humber River—Black Creek) blasted Metrolinx for using “obsolete” crash-recording devices on GO Trains, and the Ford government for continuing to allow them to avoid transparency and accountability:

“Whether it’s obsolete crash-detection or dilapidated trains, Metrolinx continues to put Ontarians at risk,” said Rakocevic. “Mysterious derailments and near misses were bad enough. Now we're learning through The Trillium’s reporting — not from Metrolinx themselves — that their on-board crash detection technology doesn’t comply with Transit Canada rules and suffered multiple failures.

“Metrolinx’s report to the board in March raved about the ‘strong performance’ of its GO Train fleet. If this is strong in their minds, what exactly would a ‘weak performance’ look like?

“Ontarians deserve reliable public transit, but more importantly, they deserve to be safe while using it. Metrolinx’s bloated roster of overpaid executives and consultants refuses to be transparent, and the Ford government lets them operate in the dark. We need a full, public inquiry into Metrolinx to fix our transit system, and keep people safe.”