No. H252/05
For release November 23, 2005
OTTAWA - Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre together with Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister responsible for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Anne McLellan, today announced initial steps, including funding of $110 million
for an Immediate Action Plan, to enhance the security of Canada's passenger rail
and public transit systems.
"Today's announcement demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to
constantly improving safety and security in all modes of our transportation
system," said Minister Lapierre. "Over the last few months, we have met with
provincial colleagues and major transit and rail operators across the country to
discuss security issues. As a result, we are now taking concrete action to
address the priority security needs of our passenger rail, mass transit and
domestic ferry systems."
The Immediate Action Plan will provide financial assistance, based on a
targeted, risk-management approach, to high-volume commuter rail and public
transit operators in six urban areas - Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto,
Ottawa and Montreal - to enhance security. Operators in other communities will
be eligible for assistance to carry out security assessments and develop plans.
It will also allow Transport Canada and Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness Canada to provide national leadership and technical expertise on
security issues, including developing best practices, assessing new
technologies, carrying out exercises, and facilitating a partnership to enhance
the security of these systems.
"The security of passenger rail and public transit systems requires a
partnership involving the federal government, the provinces, municipalities,
operators, law enforcement agencies and the public," said Minister McLellan. "We
remain committed to working with our partners, particularly through exercises
aimed at improving Canada's emergency readiness and response capacity."
The action plan includes five complementary components:
Creating a new passenger rail and public transit security contribution
program, called RideSecure, focused on commuter rail, subway and major
transit systems;
Enhancing Transport Canada's ability to provide security expertise and
specialized technology assessments and to coordinate development and sharing
of best practices with its partners in rail and public transit security;
Allowing domestic ferry security enhancements to be eligible for funding
under Transport Canada's Marine Security Contribution Program;
Conducting mass transit emergency preparedness exercises to be led by
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada in collaboration with key
jurisdictions and stakeholders; and
Creating a new Mass Transit Task Force on intelligence, policing and
response.
"These initiatives target key areas of the transportation system that
have been identified with our partners," added Minister Lapierre. "We will
continue our collaborative efforts to identify and address surface
transportation security needs in the future."
"The Immediate Action Plan will contribute towards the enhanced safety and
security of the many Canadians who rely on public transit," added Minister
McLellan. " It also delivers further on the Government of Canada's commitment
under the National Security Policy, designed to address current and future
threats."
Today's announcement builds on the more than $9 billion that has been
committed to enhancing Canada's national security by the Government of Canada
since 2001, including more than $3 billion allocated to transportation security
initiatives.
A backgrounder on the Immediate Action Plan is attached.
- 30 -
Contacts:
Irene Marcheterre
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport, Ottawa
(613) 991-0700
Alex Swann
Director of Communications
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister responsible for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness,
Ottawa
(613) 991-2863
Vanessa Vermette
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
(613) 993-0055
Media Relations
Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness Canada, Ottawa
(613) 991-0657
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
BACKGROUNDER
PASSENGER RAIL AND MASS TRANSIT
SECURITY IMMEDIATE ACTION PLAN
Transportation is the backbone of the Canadian economy - our network of
roads, railways, shipping lines and airlines keeps people and goods moving
across the country and around the world. In some parts of the world, however,
transportation infrastructure has become a primary target - and even a tool -
for terrorist organizations. Since 2001, the Government of Canada has committed
more than $9 billion towards national security, of which $2.2 billion was
allocated to strengthen aviation security and $930 million to strengthen marine
security - each focusing on areas of highest risk. More recently, the March 2004
bombings in Madrid, Spain, and the July 2005 bombings in London, England, have
led Canada to focus more closely on transportation security in high volume
passenger transportation sectors.
The passenger rail and public transit sector presents unique security
challenges because it consists of extensive, open systems that move high volumes
of passengers daily. High-volume domestic passenger ferries face many of these
same challenges.
Although Transport Canada has the lead responsibility for national
transportation security, all partners play a role with respect to the related
function of emergency management, including preparedness and response. The
Government of Canada must work together with other levels of government as well
as industry to create an effective and efficient security system.
The Immediate Action Plan is designed to address security priorities that
have been identified by the Government of Canada in collaboration with its
partners, to enhance security for passenger rail, public transit and ferry
operations through five inter-linked, complementary components.
RideSecure - A new passenger rail and public transit security contribution
program
Up to $80 million will be provided over three years to establish a new passenger
rail and public transit security contribution program, targeted towards the high
volume passenger areas of commuter rail and public transit, with a focus on
major mass transit systems and equipment.
This program will provide financial assistance to commuter rail and public
transit operators in six urban areas - Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto,
Ottawa and Montreal - to accelerate the implementation of new and enhanced
security measures.
Operators of other passenger rail and bus systems will also be eligible for
funding to undertake security assessments and develop plans.
The new program will be application-based, with a focus on risk management,
and will provide funding on a cost-shared basis - 75 per cent federal
government, 25 per cent recipient.
Details of the contribution program, including application information and
project eligibility criteria are currently under development and will be
announced when finalized.
Enhanced Transport Canada leadership, expertise and coordination
The Immediate Action Plan includes up to $19 million to strengthen Transport
Canada's capacity to provide surface transportation security leadership and
expert assistance in the development of security assessments and plans, best
practices and guidelines; enhance information sharing networks; strengthen
incident tracking and trend analysis; conduct technology research and
development programs targeted to high-volume passenger transportation; and
coordinate international and intergovernmental efforts on surface transportation
security.
Transport Canada will also establish an interdepartmental working group with
partner departments to further enhance security in this sector.
Domestic ferries now eligible for funding under Transport Canada's Marine
Security Contribution Program
Canada's domestic ferry operators, including those that are part of public
transit systems, will be eligible to apply for funding under the existing
Transport Canada Marine Security Contribution Program to enhance the security of
their facilities and vessels. Details of the contribution program elements for
domestic ferries are currently under development and will be announced when
finalized.
For more information about the Marine Security Contribution Program please
visit
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSecurity/Contribution&SpecialPrograms/menu.htm
Mass transit emergency preparedness exercises
The Immediate Action Plan will provide up to $8 million to improve the readiness
of Canada's mass transport sector to respond to emergencies and to develop
effective contingency plans. This funding will allow Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness Canada, in cooperation with Transport Canada, to partner with key
jurisdictions and stakeholders to carry out complex inter-jurisdictional
exercises in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, including table-top, command post
and full-scale live exercises.
These exercises are essential in preparing officials at all levels of
government, as well as infrastructure owner-operators, first responders and law
enforcement, for their roles in emergencies.
Mass Transit Task Force on intelligence, policing and response
Up to $3 million will be allocated to Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Canada to set up a Mass Transit Task Force which will work closely with
Transport Canada. Under Transport Canada's lead, the task force will be looking
into the development of an intelligence capacity on mass transportation critical
infrastructure protection and threat assessment, including the provision of
intelligence to transportation partners and law enforcement.
The task force will also work with federal and provincial partners,
municipalities and local law enforcement agencies to assess specialized,
longer-term intelligence and policing technology needs and identify necessary
infrastructure support, while recognizing interoperability and privacy concerns;
strengthen security awareness activities through police input into program
design and operational response; and increase international engagement on mass
transit security issues.
November 2005
