Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The country’s top court has upheld a decision by federal regulators who ordered Via Rail to overhaul passenger cars to make them more accessible to travellers in wheelchairs.
The 5-4 judgment by the Supreme Court of Canada is a victory for the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, which has battled Via on the issue for nearly seven years.
The council objected to the design of the French-built Renaissance cars which have been used by Via in the busy Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor, as well as on routes between Montreal and the Maritimes.
Via says it has made some changes to the cars to provide better access for wheelchairs, but it balked at implementing all the modifications ordered by the Canadian Transportation Agency.
