Bill S-221 given Royal Assent in House of Commons

 The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) is pleased to announce that Bill S-221, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (assaults on public transit operators) will receive Royal Assent today, and the law will come into effect immediately. The bill will improve consistency in sentencing for offenders who assault public transit operators, and discourage would-be assailants.

"Bill S-221 represents the fruition of many years of hard work by CUTA," Michael Roschlau, CUTA's President and CEO said. "Protecting our transit service providers and operators is a priority for the industry. We have been diligently collecting statistics on incidences of assault and harassment, and knew that legislative action would be required."

"We would like to formally thank Senator Robert Runciman. This piece of legislation would only be a fleeting ambition if not for his dedication and statesmanship" Roschlau said. "We are very grateful to consider Senator Runciman our friend and ally."

Feb 25 15