Access to information is good governance: VIA Rail recognized for best practice by information commissioner

Montreal, March 10, 2011 – Earlier today, the Office of the Information Commissioner issued its special report for 2009-10.  VIA Rail Canada was one of eight federal entities reviewed, and received an above-average (B) rating.
The report pointed out three areas where VIA performed particularly well.

First, it referred to VIA’s internal guide to the Access to Information Act as “thorough”, designating it “a best practice". among all the reviewed organizations.  VIA has in fact worked hard to refine its internal procedures and communicate the Access to Information requirements throughout the company, in order to facilitate Canadians’ access to information about their national passenger rail network.

Second, the report commends VIA for “making detailed information available to the public on its own website, including a basic explanation of the Act, a downloadable request form and instructions on how to make a formal request.” The report also notes that “VIA posted this information as soon as it became subject to the Act, as a service to its customers.” This finding is consistent with VIA’s long-standing policy of openness and commitment to customer service.

Finally, the commissioner noted that the company “has exhibited a solid commitment to comply with the Access to Information Act”, underscoring that VIA sees  taxpayers as its shareholders and considers itself accountable to them … in short, that access to information is good governance.
Of the 28 requests for information VIA received during the reporting period, VIA’s average request completion rate of 26.1 days was judged as excellent, with only three responses going beyond the initial 30-day due date.

While the company has only been subject to the Act for a little over three years, VIA is confident that, with the measures put in place, it will continue to improve both its performance and its rating in future reviews.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada’s mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation to Canadian travellers in both official languages. Every week VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500 kilometer route network. The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, reliable and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports. VIA safely transports over four million passengers annually.

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