Bill aimed at unreliable elevators appears to be getting some lift
TORONTO — A private member’s bill that aims to tackle the major problem of unreliable elevators appears to have gained some traction on both sides of the aisle as the proposed Ontario legislation heads toward its first debate.
Both Consumer Services Minister Tracy MacCharles and Opposition Leader Patrick Brown praised the initiative.
“It’s important to Ontarians that elevators are in good repair so that people don’t get stranded, particularly seniors,” MacCharles said. “This makes great sense. I’m very supportive of it.”
The bill by Liberal government backbencher Han Dong, introduced last week and slated for debate April 13, has two main sections: One aims to set time limits for getting broken elevators back in service — 14 days for most buildings, seven for retirement homes and long-term-care facilities — and involves changes to the Consumer Protection Act. The second part of the Reliable Elevators Act calls for changes to the provincial building code to mandate elevator-traffic studies for new high-rise buildings.