Calls for judicial inquiry into LRT grow louder ahead of council meeting
CTV
Calls for a judicial inquiry into Ottawa's Confederation Line light rail system are growing louder ahead of a key vote at Ottawa City Council.
Councillors meet Wednesday to vote on the issue. Also up for debate is whether to rip up the 30-year maintenance contract with Rideau Transit Maintenance.
"We have the right to know why these sorts of things, like derailments and things like that, that make people feel unsafe on transit, keep happening," said Sam Hersh of Horizon Ottawa. "We should at least see what it is, see what it takes and see if we can get a better deal for the residents of Ottawa because at the end of the day that's what everyone wants."
The city solicitor sent a memo ahead of the meeting, saying that judicial inquiries can be incredibly expensive, up to $20 million in some cases, that they may not provide the answers people are seeking, and that there's no timeline for their completion.
"Doing nothing far outweighs the cost of an inquiry," said Coun. Catherine McKenney, who is putting forward the motion to hold an inquiry. "We have spent over six billion dollars on our rail system in this city; we do not have one train on a track today."
