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(Released November
14, 2000)
The Panel has initiated a programme
of research into issues raised by its Terms of Reference or identified
through its consultations. The mandate of section 53 of the Canada
Transportation Act extends to
all legislation dealing with "the economic regulation of a mode of
transportation and transportation activities under the legislative authority
of Parliament for which the Minister of Transport is responsible"; and
the issues identified in the Terms of Reference as requiring special
attention include a number that are pertinent to several or all modes.
The
Panel is initially taking a broad view of its mandate, intending to review
all issues that might have relevance, and therefore potentially
investigating issues in all modes. All of the items listed below are
expected to be considered, though it is not likely that they will all be
examined in depth, and some might be removed from the list after preliminary
examination, while others might be added. Specific studies have been
identified, and are being undertaken using the Panel’s assigned staff or
through contracts with experts.
Potential research issues
Competitive access to rail
networks, and alternative pro-competitive measures:
- recent and historical trends in
operational and financial performance of the North American railways;
- assessment of the nature of
competition in Canada (including a survey of shippers);
- effectiveness of the existing
competitive access provisions;
- proposals for increasing rail
competition, including expanded interswitching, enhanced running rights,
regional railways or other access concepts;
- experience with open access to
rail networks in other countries;
- experience with open access in
other network industries;
- constitutional implications of
access for provincial railways;
- trade ramifications of access
pricing;
- relationship of enhanced access
provisions to existing Canada Transportation Act provisions.
Emerging market structures among
transport carriers:
- restructuring of carriers and
their markets arising from regulatory changes, technological developments
and global trends;
- lessons from experience in other countries;
- comparisons
among modes, including:
- rail freight
- aviation
- freight modes other than rail -
trucking, marine, intermodal
- passenger modes other than air
- intercity train and bus, urban transit, ferry
Sustainability of capital spending:
- adequacy of current
infrastructure, financial performance and incentives for investment in
infrastructure;
- its impacts on transport objectives and economic activity;
- special features of each type of infrastructure and comparisons among them,
including:
- rail
- airports
- air navigation
- ports
- St Lawrence Seaway
- roads
- urban transit
Governance and accountability of
newly-commercialised transportation infrastructure providers:
- principles of governance and
accountability, and an assessment of their application;
- relationship of
governance to economic performance of the newly-commercialised entities,
including:
- airports
- air navigation
- ports
- St Lawrence Seaway
Sustainable transportation issues:
- alternative models for government
action in implementing sustainable transportation objectives and policies;
relative responsibilities of each level of government, notably for urban
conditions.
Preservation of urban rail
corridors:
- potential effectiveness in
alleviating urban congestion and associated impacts; appropriate valuation
for compensation to owners.
Accessibility to transportation by
persons with disabilities:
- opportunities for improved
accessibility in all passenger modes, potential policy instruments and their
costs.
E-Commerce implications for
transportation:
- effects of electronic information
exchange, e.g. on transport demand, logistics, modal choices, efficiency of
vehicle/craft utilisation, costs and environmental damage.
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