Canada Transportation Act

Marginal note:Declaration

5 It is declared that a competitive, economic and efficient national transportation system that meets the highest practicable safety and security standards and contributes to a sustainable environment and makes the best use of all modes of transportation at the lowest total cost is essential to serve the needs of its users, advance the well-being of Canadians and enable competitiveness and economic growth in both urban and rural areas throughout Canada. Those objectives are most likely to be achieved when

• (a) competition and market forces, both within and among the various modes of transportation, are the prime agents in providing viable and effective transportation services;

• (b) regulation and strategic public intervention are used to achieve economic, safety, security, environmental or social outcomes that cannot be achieved satisfactorily by competition and market forces and do not unduly favour, or reduce the inherent advantages of, any particular mode of transportation;

• (c) rates and conditions do not constitute an undue obstacle to the movement of traffic within Canada or to the export of goods from Canada;

• (d) the transportation system is accessible without undue obstacle to the mobility of all persons;

• (d.1) the transportation system is accessible without barriers to persons with disabilities; and

• (e) governments and the private sector work together for an integrated transportation system.