CALGARY, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian
Pacific (TSX: CP)(NYSE: CP) today launched an awareness campaign
that highlights the safety benefits of the proactive use of
inward-facing cameras, and continues to urge the Minister of
Transport to pass new legislation that would maximize these
benefits.
The campaign's website, www.cprailsafe.ca, specifies how CP
intends to use the technology to reduce risk, improve safety, and
assist in preventing accidents. CP is prepared to further invest in
and install inward-facing cameras, also known as locomotive video
and voice recorders (LVVR), if they can be used to proactively
improve safety. The use of this technology would immediately
enhance a culture of safety and accountability in the rail
sector.
"We are proud to be running the safest railway in North America, but we can always do better and
having the ability to use inward-facing cameras allows us to be
even safer," said Keith Creel, CP's
President and Chief Executive Officer. "This is a preventative,
proactive, behaviour-changing tool the industry should have been
allowed to use years ago."
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has been calling on
Transport Canada to mandate this technology since 2012. Current
regulations allow inward-facing cameras to be used only by the TSB
for post-incident investigation.
"Having the ability to use this technology in a proactive manner
as opposed to only after the fact would allow us to prevent
incidents, instead of explaining them," said Creel. "This
technology would be another tool in the broader package of rules,
regulations and our safety management system suite – each of which
protects the public, our employees and the goods we transport for
our customers. We recognize the need to use this technology in a
way that is respectful of our employees, and are committed to doing
so."
Our industry and regulators have an obligation to take all
available measures that enhance the safety and security of the
communities surrounding our railways. Effective use of
inward-facing camera technology would include the ability for it to
be used for investigation after an incident, as well as allowing
railways and regulators the opportunity to proactively reduce
unsafe behaviors such as tampering, cell phone use, sleeping and
noncompliance with other safety-critical rules and regulations
before incidents occur.
CP uses inward-facing cameras in 49 of its locomotives in the
U.S. The technology is also being used successfully by other
transportation companies in the U.S. with studies showing a
40-percent reduction in collisions per million miles travelled.
For 11 consecutive years, CP has been the safest Class 1
railroad in North America,
measured by train-accident frequency. In 2016, CP celebrated its
lowest-ever train accident frequency.
"This government has made rail safety a focus," said Creel. "We
implore the government to do what is right and legislate the
proactive use of inward-facing locomotive cameras."
CP has always prioritized the safe transportation of goods
through the more than 1,100 communities in which it operates and
will invest $1.25 billion on capital
improvements in 2017.
Opponents of taking this important step forward in rail safety
are concerned about how railways would use the information. They
say employees have a right to privacy while at work and recordings
would be used for disciplinary purposes. CP is willing to sit down
with regulators and stakeholders to determine how proactive use is
defined given the understanding that the technology must be used to
prevent incidents.
In a recent omnibus survey conducted by Matchbox/MARU with 2,500
Canadians over the age of 18, CP found that almost all Canadians
(97 percent) agree appropriate actions should be taken against
employees that behave unsafely, while 89 percent agree that
employees working in roles that could directly affect their own
safety and the safety of others should expect to be monitored.
Go to www.cprailsafe.ca and sign the Safety Pledge and show
support for increased safety measures for railway operations across
Canada.
Forward Looking Statement
This news release contains certain forward-looking information
within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating, but not
limited, to railway and public safety, our operations, priorities
and plans, anticipated financial performance, business prospects,
planned capital expenditures, programs and strategies. This
forward-looking information also includes, but is not limited to,
statements concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, goals,
objectives, assumptions and statements about possible future
events, conditions, and results of operations or performance.
Forward-looking information may contain statements with words or
headings such as "financial expectations", "key assumptions",
"anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "will", "outlook",
"should" or similar words suggesting future outcomes.
Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking
information as actual results may differ materially from the
forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is not a
guarantee of future performance. By its nature, CP's
forward-looking information involves numerous assumptions, inherent
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward looking information, including but not
limited to the following factors: changes in business strategies;
general North American and global economic, credit and business
conditions; risks in agricultural production such as weather
conditions and insect populations; the availability and price of
energy commodities; the effects of competition and pricing
pressures; industry capacity; shifts in market demand; changes in
commodity prices; uncertainty surrounding timing and volumes of
commodities being shipped via CP; inflation; changes in laws and
regulations, including regulation of rates; changes in taxes and
tax rates; potential increases in maintenance and operating costs;
uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of
claims and litigation; labour disputes; risks and liabilities
arising from derailments; transportation of dangerous goods; timing
of completion of capital and maintenance projects; currency and
interest rate fluctuations; effects of changes in market conditions
and discount rates on the financial position of pension plans and
investments; and various events that could disrupt operations,
including severe weather, droughts, floods, avalanches and
earthquakes as well as security threats and governmental response
to them, and technological changes. The foregoing list of factors
is not exhaustive. These and other factors are detailed from time
to time in reports filed by CP with securities regulators in
Canada and the United States. Reference should be made to
"Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Forward-Looking
Information" in CP's annual and interim reports on Form 10-K and
10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking information. Forward looking information is based
on current expectations, estimates and projections and it is
possible that predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forms
of forward-looking information will not be achieved by CP. Except
as required by law, CP undertakes no obligation to update publicly
or otherwise revise any forward-looking information, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway
in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight
major ports, including Vancouver
and Montreal, providing North
American customers a competitive rail service with access to key
markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its
customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services,
logistics solutions and supply chain expertise.
Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of CP.
SOURCE Canadian Pacific