OTTAWA — The Conservatives have no plan to force Canada Post to continue rural mailbox delivery on dangerous roads, Transport Minister John Baird said Thursday.
Baird said he “couldn’t live” with the moral consequences if a postal worker was killed on the job.
At first, Baird said, he thought it was “ridiculous” Canada Post could not continue rural mail delivery, but after going out with carriers in January, he is convinced many roads are hazardous.
Junior minister Rob Merrifield told MPs at the transport committee meeting that a $250-$300 million study concluded 12% of mailboxes didn’t comply with the labour codes.
There had been three deaths and 120 auto accidents since 2005 involving carriers, he said, adding the Crown corporation was now studying whether to purchase safer right-hand-drive vehicles.
“This is fairly serious,” Merrifield said, noting the Tories had directed Canada Post to continue all end-of-lane deliveries that “comply with the law.”
The Liberals plan to re-introduce a motion restoring rural mail delivery as it existed prior to September 2005.
Liberal rural caucus chair Mark Eyking said his party wants to stop Canada Post from tearing down traditional driveway boxes.
“Some seniors don’t have vehicles to go, even if it is a kilometre, to go down the road to one of those super-boxes. They don’t have transportation and they can’t walk down the road,” he said.
Conservative MP Larry Miller said the costly Canada Post review came out with “ridiculous” and “frivolous” recommendations such as moving mailboxes by less than a foot.
Miller said if a new study by Canada Post recommends the purchase of right-hand-drive vehicles, the crown corporation should get out of the business of owning vehicles to deliver rural mail and leave it to the private sector.
althia.raj@sunmedia.ca
