By Ahmed Shalaby, Ottawa Citizen, January 21, 2019
Hours after the Westboro bus crash last Friday, I called for Mayor Jim Watson to invite the Transportation Safety Board to investigate alongside the Ottawa Police Service. Today, I am pleased that the police opened the door a crack and accepted the TSB’s offer for technical assistance with the investigation.
The TSB’s assistance is an important first step, and it is the maximum that can be done “within” the board’s current mandate. Still, Watson has not assured the TSB that it will have unlimited access to the investigation.
Urban rapid transit forms a critical infrastructure lifeline for every major city. Threats to its safety could have devastating impacts on the well-being of citizens, national security, and the economy. However, there is no federal mandate for safety investigations of any road incident, unlike the modes of air, rail, marine and pipeline transportation.
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/shalaby-we-should-let-the-transportation-safety-board-dig-deeper-on-westboro-crash