Evidence of meeting #67 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was c-49.
A video is available from Parliament.
6:40 p.m.
President, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities
Actually, I don't have the answer to that. I'm sorry.
6:40 p.m.
NDP
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
One minute.
I have a question for you, Mr. Bell. In your comments, you said that the position of the cameras in the cabins made it impossible to see the faces of the drivers. It is impossible to see whether they are happy, sad or whatever. However, it is possible to see whether they are using a cellphone, which is prohibited.
What do you do when you see that one of your employees is talking on a cellphone while driving?
6:40 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
We would go back to the policy we put in place when we're empowered, if we're empowered to use the information. We would go back to address that as a trend rather than with the individual employee. We wouldn't look at it as an opportunity to punish that person. We'd look at it as an opportunity to educate him or her and the remainder of the workforce.
6:40 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Thank you.
Mr. Bell, it's nice to meet you.
You mentioned that the LVVRs have been in place for only about six months, but I think the GO trains have been recording for a heck of a lot longer than that. Can you talk about the previous system and what the change is?
6:40 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
The difference for us is the migration to the locomotive voice and video recorders. What we had been recording for a long time were the external views. It's the internal views that are new to us.
6:40 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
You mentioned that the front-facing camera is readily readable. Does that include audio recording from inside or only external views?
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
There is no audio on the front-facing camera, only video.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Okay. In what circumstances would you read that in a hurry?
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
The most common use of the front-facing video is when we encounter a suicide on the tracks. In that case, we will download that information and provide it to the attending coroner. It's almost always a coroner who attends. It provides, in our experience, incontrovertible evidence as to what has happened in front of our train.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
That then permits the train to carry on more quickly than it otherwise would.
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
Yes, indeed. If there were to be an ambiguity as to the finding, it would be treated as a crime scene, and it could tie up the train and the subsequent trains for a long time.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
When that happens, what happens to the crew? Are they taken off and given two weeks off, as it were?
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
The crew is relieved from duty. They're not able to continue their trip. They're given post-incident counselling, as are our other responders who come to the scene. As a result of that, there's an assessment made by them and their managers, or our managers, as to when they can return to duty.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Are the cameras always on or only when the engine is running or only when the reverser is in? When are they operating?
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
The external camera is on when the locomotive is powered up. The internal cameras are only on when the train is active.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Okay. You mentioned earlier that the rear-facing camera in the cabin looks at diagnostic information on the back wall. Is there not also a data recorder? Why would you need to visually look at the instruments rather than having it recorded separately?
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
There is a data recorder, but it has a limited number of channels. What we can see on the back wall are a number of indicator lights and other things that may not necessarily be shown on the data recorder but may be useful in interpreting an incident.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I get you.
How long is the data retained on those cameras?
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
Currently the data is recorded for 72 hours and then automatically overwritten.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
That's 72 hours of operation, not 72 hours on the calendar.
6:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Safety and Security, Metrolinx
I believe it's 72 hours in which the cameras are active.
