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October 03, 2015 - 1:00 PM
KAMLOOPS - The dispute between the city and the Canadian Pacific railway on crossing closures continues and it’s up to Transport Canada to decide who to wins after the railway took its complaints to a higher level.
Mayor Peter Milobar says the disagreement over the railway crossings on 2 Avenue and 3 Avenue has been ongoing for the last few years and was revisited after business expanded on Lorne Street downtown. Representatives from the railway say there’s been an increase in trespassing at both locations.
Sau Sau Liu, the regional communications manager for Transport Canada, says for the crossing to close both the city and the railway must agree. But in cases of disagreement, such as this one, Transport Canada could decide if a closure is necessary based on safety concerns.
The legislation permitting Transport Canada to decide falls under the Railway Safety Act which states a railway safety inspector may order the railway to take measures to mitigate the threat if it’s immediate, which could permit crossing closures.
The Canadian Transportation Agency would then decide who pays for the closure or if the costs should be divided between the city and the railway, Liu says.
Sanjay Kosmadia, the general manager of the Shark Club restaurant in the Sandman Centre downtown says they haven’t heard concerns from the railway about trespassing by late-night patrons.
“When we first (opened) we had little orange notes that said 'please take the walking bridge,’" Kosmadia says, adding the notes were provided by the railway and handed out to those leaving the club. “We were doing as much as we can.”
Calls to the Sandman Centre to ask about trespassers were not returned.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015