New rules could force Ottawa bus drivers to call all stops

Ottawa transit driversmay soon berequired to call out all bus stopsafteran Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruling that forces Toronto transit drivers to do so or risk being fired.

Right now, Ottawa transit driversmust call out only major stops and stops requested by passengers.

"It may be that we have to even go further than that because of this decision in Toronto," said Ottawa transit committee vice-chair Marianne Wilkinson on Tuesday.

The Ottawa rules were put in place after an order issuedin April by the Canadian Transportation Agency in response to a blind passenger's complaint.

But within weeks, the agency is expected to decide whether to take into consideration the July human rights tribunalorder against the Toronto Transit Commission and demand further action, said OC Transpo head Alain Mercier.

The order against the TTC, made in response to blind passenger David Lepofsky’s complaint, calls for monthly audits to ensure that all stops are being called out. It also requires that the TTC change its policies so that "failure of employees to do as directed may result in serious sanctions including dismissal."

In July, Ottawa's transit committee voted against a system, estimated to cost up to $8 million, that would automatically call out bus stops in order to comply with the CTA ruling.