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CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
City outlines next steps on driver cameras and other bus crash inquest recommendations
The City of Ottawa says it will examine the potential installation of driver-facing cameras on OC Transpo buses, following a recommendation from a recent coroner's inquest into a fatal 2019 bus crash. The nearly month-long inquest in April delved into the circumstances of a packed double-decker bus slamming into a Transitway shelter on Jan. 11, 2019. Three passengers — Judy Booth, Bruce Thomlinson and Anja Van Beek — died in the crash and many others were injured. While the city accepted civil responsibility, the driver, Aissatou Diallo, was charged with 38 counts of dangerous driving causing death or bodily harm. She was acquitted of all charges in a judge-only trial in 2021. Diallo did not testify at either the inquest or her trial, but an OC Transpo official told the inquest that if a driver-facing camera had been on board Diallo's bus, more would be known about her actions in the lead-up to the crash. The jurors ultimately issued 60 non-binding recommendations, two-thirds of which were directed at the city. They included a call for Ottawa to "install operator-facing cameras on all OC Transpo buses to be used for safety purposes." "This data should be regularly tracked by an accountable member of the governance team," the jurors added. Adjusting current cameras The city has now provided its initial response to the recommendations, with "a comprehensive status update and action plan" to follow later this year. City staff agree with the idea of operator-facing cameras on all OC Transpo buses, adding that "a robust policy/program will be developed" similar to the one that already exists for cameras on OC Transpo's federally regulated LRT line. But installing cameras could bring "significant budgetary pressures," the city warned councillors ahead of the next meeting of Ottawa's transit committee on Thursday. "In order to develop a response to this recommendation, research will need to be completed, a robust policy must be drafted, all relevant stakeholders and unions must be consulted, and a technical analysis ... will need to be undertaken. Once all of these steps have been completed, the costs can be presented for consideration through the budget process," the city said. One option, according to the city's initial response to the recommendations, could involve adjusting existing CCTV cameras on all buses purchased since 2016 so that they offer a wide-angle view that would include the driver. Just over 350 of the buses in OC Transpo's fleet currently have CCTV cameras, the city clarified with CBC via email, while the remaining 382 buses do not have onboard cameras. "Staff are currently assessing the feasibility of utilizing the current CCTV camera system to address the inquest recommendation or determine if a new camera system is required," according to the city's email. Union concerns Cost aside, the notion of driver-facing cameras on buses has sparked privacy concerns with the local union representing OC Transpo drivers. When lawyers made their final pitches to the inquest jury, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 279 was the only group to oppose driver-facing cameras on buses. However, in an interview with Ottawa Morning the day after the jury issued its recommendations, ATU Local 279 President Noah Vineberg clarified the union's position. "Privacy always becomes an issue, but that does not trump safety," Vineberg said. "As long as [the use of camera footage is] properly monitored, as long as there's an agreement in place on how those systems are going to be used, and if it's in the lens of safety ... then ATU 279 doesn't stand in the way." The city said its plan "will ensure appropriate protections for employees' privacy." Consultations on LRT cameras took several years, the union's lawyer told the inquest. Negotiations on a new contract for OC Transpo drivers have begun and have involved discussion of video footage, Vineberg said via email. More days of retraining The inquest jury also recommended that a portion of OC Transpo's bus fleet be dedicated to training drivers. City staff said they support this idea in principle but that given the current shortage of buses, the recommendation can't reasonably be implemented without significant impacts to service. "It is expected that a stable, reliable fleet will not be fully available until Q4 2027," according to the city's response to the recommendations. The inquest heard that after she was involved in a preventable and serious collision in December 2018, Diallo received only one day of refresher training before being put back on the road. Within a week, she was involved in the fatal Transitway crash. "How quickly after a previous incident she was back behind the wheel — that was really kind of astonishing to me," said Laura Shantz, a member of the advocacy group Ottawa Transit Riders. The jury recommended the city establish a separate evaluation procedure for probationary operators involved in serious preventable collisions, and that before the driver returns to service they receive a minimum of five days of retraining. Aspects of this recommendation are currently in place, according to the city, but staff will review the recommendation and report back to the transit committee later this year. The committee will meet Thursday to discuss the city's initial inquest response and other agenda items starting at 9:30 a.m.
Zawya
04-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Economic diversification is crucial for unlocking new sources of growth in Equatorial Guinea, says new report
Economic diversification away from oil, investing in its people and strengthening institutions are crucial for stemming economic decline in Equatorial Guinea, says the World Bank in its latest Country Economic Memorandum report on the country. The decline in the country's oil revenues, combined with past shortfalls in diversifying the economy, has resulted in a prolonged recession, reversed economic gains, and jeopardized social progress. Equatorial Guinea's abundant oil resources propelled the country into the exclusive group of African upper-middle income nations. However, the economy suffered six years of recession since 2015 and fell back into recession in 2023 after just two years of growth. National per capita income has also been declining and stands at less than half that of its peak in 2008. To attain sustainable and inclusive growth going forward, a greater focus on building human capital and strengthening the business environment and institutions is needed, says the report, titled Equatorial Guinea Country Economic Memorandum – Building the Foundations for Renewed, More Diversified and Inclusive Growth. 'Equatorial Guinea has the potential to transform its economy and improve the lives of its citizens. However, this requires bold policy actions to build the foundations for renewed, diversified, and more inclusive growth,' said Aissatou Diallo, World Bank Resident Representative for Equatorial Guinea. The hydrocarbon sector represents 39% of the country's GDP, 76% of total exports, and about 86% of government revenues, but it provides few job opportunities. Without strong reforms and with progressive decline in hydrocarbon reserves, per capita income is projected to continue falling for decades to come. The report provides a roadmap to help counter the country's economic decline and enable Equatorial Guinea to embark on a new growth trajectory that is sustainable and inclusive – grounded in the development of human capital, an enabling environment for private sector activities, and strengthened institutions and governance. Priority actions include: Reducing fiscal instability and enforcing fiscal discipline, exploring options for creating a stabilization fund to manage oil price volatility, and enhancing transparency and accountability of the Sovereign Wealth Fund. Improving public financial management by raising non-oil revenues through rationalization of tax exemptions and simplification of tax procedures, developing a strategy to reduce subsidies to state owned enterprises, exploring divestment and other private sector participation options, and improving efficiency of public spending. Strengthening governance by fully operationalizing the Anti-Corruption Commission and strengthening statistical and monitoring capacity. Investing in human capital: Equatorial Guinea ranks relatively low on the Human Development Index, with lower education and health outcomes compared to income peers resulting from inadequate social spending and weak public service delivery. There is a need to prioritize primary education, invest in skills for economic diversification, strengthen public health, and adopt social protection measures. Improving the business climate to attract private sector investment and promote economic diversification; remove barriers to entry and address challenges such as legal uncertainty, land titling issues, gender gaps, limited access to credit, and inadequate digitalization of public services. Accelerating digitalization, integrating into the world economy with a focus on trade facilitation, and promoting diversification through eco-tourism. 'The recent decrease in Equatorial Guinea's hydrocarbon production and the volatility of oil prices are a strong reminder of the need for the country to reduce its exposure to global commodity markets. Sustained policy actions and efforts to develop the non-oil sector, boost human capital development, enable the private sector, and strengthen legal, fiscal, and economic institutions can help promote resilient, sustained, and inclusive growth,' said Djeneba Doumbia, lead author of the report. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.
