Regulatory Regime Renewal

The Agency is responsible for developing and administering regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to a wide range of matters involving federally-regulated air, rail and marine modes of transportation.

The national transportation policy permits the market to largely self-regulate. However, it also acknowledges that regulation may be required to meet public objectives or in cases where parties are not served by effective competition.

Feedback from our stakeholders indicates that they are looking to the Agency to update its regulations to reflect changing environments and stakeholder needs. A modernized regulatory regime – comprising essential regulation, guidelines, codes of practice and their administration – will more effectively align with the current transportation and government policy framework. It will also ultimately improve the transparency of the Agency's decision-making process, reduce the need for unnecessary applications, facilitate the processing of applications, and strengthen compliance.

The Agency also recognizes that there are as yet untapped opportunities to make effective use of information technologies to serve stakeholders in a more timely and efficient manner. Offering web-based services and streamlining business processes will position the Agency to better respond to stakeholder needs.

These efforts to renew the Agency's regulatory regime will require ongoing dialogue with our stakeholders, both formal and informal. Increased outreach efforts will contribute to:

• Effectively resolving issues;
• Enhancing understanding of and compliance with regulatory requirements; and
• Improving Agency awareness of stakeholder views, concerns and emerging issues.

Objective 1: Essential Regulatory Regime

The Agency's regulatory regime is modernized.

Desired Result: An efficient and transparent regulatory regime of essential regulation and non-regulatory approaches.

Strategic Action 1: Systematically review and update the Agency's regulations.

Key Results

• Modernized Air Transportation Regulations.
• Updated regulations pertaining to persons with disabilities.
• Rail and air regulations of the Agency are reviewed and amended to respond to government direction and the Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulations.

Deliverables

• Amendments to Parts I-VII of Air Transportation Regulations implemented.
• Amendments to Personnel Training Regulations implemented.
• Railway Costing Regulations reviewed.

Strategic Action 2: Develop and update non-regulatory approaches to achieving desired outcomes.

Key Results

• Interpretation notes providing stakeholders with better understanding of specific issues or topics.
• Guidelines providing stakeholders with the Agency's procedural and substantive approach for specific regulatory areas.
• Updated codes of practice for accessible transportation.

Deliverables

• Interpretation notes on various issues published, such as:
  • What is a publicly available air service;
  • Who is operating an air service;
  • Availability of terms and conditions at business offices of air carriers; and
  • The Revenue Cap Program.
• Agency Guidelines updated or developed on matters such as:
  • Net salvage value determinations of railway lines;
  • Extra-bilateral authorities for air carriers;
  • Small air terminals in order to address needs of persons with disabilities;
  • Public passenger service providers; and
  • Wet leases and code sharing for air carriers.
• Updated codes of practices for aircraft, ferry and rail passenger car accessibility.

Objective 2: Effective Administration

Our administration of regulatory responsibilities is streamlined.

Desired result: The administration of the regulatory regime is effective, efficient, transparent and responsive.

Strategic Action 1:  Streamline the Agency's regulatory administrative processes.

Key Results

• New e-service channels which improve services to Agency clients and serve as a catalyst to streamline Agency processes.
• Streamlined internal regulatory administrative processes.
• Application guidelines, forms and other resource tools to clearly communicate the Agency's administrative processes and essential information needs.

Deliverables

• Implementation of e-service channels for online delivery of regulatory services.
• Review and streamlining of regulatory applications, licensing and permitting processes.
• Updated railway cost of capital methodology developed.
• Guides on several issues updated, such as:
  • Schedule A railway crossings;
  • Road crossings for railways;
  • Air charters;
  • Domestic licences for air transportation;
  • How to file a tariff; and
  • Air services financial requirements.

Strategic Action 2: Enhance regulatory compliance through voluntary and non-voluntary means.

Key Results

• Enhanced air passenger and air carrier understanding of their rights and responsibilities.
• A risk-management approach for monitoring compliance.
• Work toward expanding the scope of the Designated Provisions Regulations to enable the use of Administrative Monetary Penalties for specific railway matters.

Deliverables

• Launch and promotion of a Sample Tariff for scheduled service air carriers.
• Terms and conditions of carriage of air carriers selling air services are available on their websites.
• Air carriers operating as part of the National Airports System have prominent signs indicating that their terms and conditions of carriage is available at their business office.
• Air carriers reflect the Montreal Convention in their Canadian tariff.
• Passenger carrier and terminal accessibility compliance reports on voluntary codes of practice and regulations.

Strategic Action 3:  Measure and monitor stakeholder satisfaction and program performance to identify opportunities for improvement.

Key Results

• Continuous two-way communication with stakeholders through consultations, outreach and engagement.
• Integrate stakeholder feedback on Agency services, products, and responsiveness into performance assessment for continuous improvement.

Deliverables

• Stakeholder feedback obtained through meetings and participation in industry events taken into consideration in the modernization and ongoing administration of the regulatory regime.
• Service performance standards monitored and reports, including course correction plans, prepared and disseminated.
• Stakeholder satisfaction with regulatory programs measured and analyzed.