Should transit drivers & pilots face random drug and alcohol tests?

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The Toronto transit commission began testing its employees for substance abuse on the job this week. On the first day, two workers were found to be impaired.

It’s a case that’s raising questions about transportation safety well beyond the TTC. On July 31st 2014 an impaired driver had the bucket of this dump truck raised and crashed into the Burlington Skyway bridge. Despite accidents like that there is no legal requirement to test the sobriety of truckers who operate within Canada.

Two months ago, a GO bus operator was charged with impaired driving. He was caught at the end of his shift by a supervisor, but GO bus drivers who are hired by Metrolinx are not subject to random drug and alcohol testing either. Metrolinx may be reconsidering depending on how successful the TTC program is. But Minister of Transportation, Steven Del Duca says Metrolinx’s protocols are good enough.

HSR bus drivers are also not randomly tested for drugs and alcohol. The same goes for GO train drivers who are hired by Bombardier. However Bombardier does do impairment testing on scheduled dates or if they have reasonable suspicion.

Even pilots are not randomly tested in Canada. Last summer, a Canadian pilot and his co-pilot scheduled on an Air Transat flight from Scotland to Toronto were both found to be drunk. In March a Sunwing pilot also pleaded guilty to being impaired while being in control of an aircraft. He had a blood alcohol level that was three times the legal limit and was sentenced to 8 months in prison.