Government tightens reporting requirements for railroads, grain companies

OTTAWA (Aug. 4, 1999) — Transport Minister David Collenette announced amendments to the Carriers and Transportation Undertakings Regulation designed to tighten reporting requirements of railways and grain companies.

Better information would help regulators make sound decisions about the long-term future of Canada’s grain transportation system, Collenette explained.

“It is essential that the gathering of information begin now to ensure the statistics will reflect the whole of the 1999/2000 crop year,” he said. “This information will be used to form a base against which to measure the effectiveness of future reforms to the grain handling and transportation system.”

Under previous regulations, information collected from railways was not specific to grain. The new amendments allow for the collection of operational and financial information related to the handling and transportation of grain from railways and from companies operating elevators receiving and handling western grain.

Grain companies currently provide operational information to the Canadian Grain Commission, under the Canada Grain Act.

The amendments require them to file information with Transport Canada as well.