Government of Canada issues call for proposals to support safer roads and highways

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 14, 2023 /CNW/ - Keeping Canadians safe on the road is a top priority for the Government of Canada. Transport Canada's Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program works towards tackling persistent safety challenges related to dangerous driving habits and rapidly evolving technologies, and school bus safety.

Today, the Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, announced a new call for proposals under this Program. The call is open to private sector enterprises, academia, safety organizations, non-governmental organizations, or other orders of government in Canada. There are three priority focus areas:

• projects that address the leading causes of road collisions and fatalities, including impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving and excessive speed;
• projects that provide opportunities to invest in initiatives that promote innovative design, testing, and integration of Connected and Automated Vehicles; and
• projects that contribute to the education, training, testing, and enhancement of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems technologies.

Proposals supporting safety initiatives for vulnerable road users, commercial motor vehicles, road safety enforcement, and emerging technologies will also be accepted for consideration.

Transport Canada may offer a maximum contribution of up to 75 per cent of total eligible project costs. To be eligible, applicants must submit proposals to Transport Canada no later than February 8, 2024.

Since it launched, the Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program has provided approximately $28 million for 84 projects to improve road safety, including efforts to reduce collisions and improve vehicle safety. The program was renewed in Budget 2023.

"Technology changes, but our need to stay safe on the road always remains. We need to keep coming up with new ideas and try new approaches to address problems like aggressive or distracted driving, and we need to stay on top of new developments like automated vehicles. I really look forward to receiving new proposals to help keep Canadians safe."

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez
Minister of Transport

• Projects selected from this call for proposals could receive funding for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years.
• First introduced in Budget 2019, the Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program provides funding to provinces, territories, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, provincially and territorially owned entities, the private sector, associations, and academia. It has expanded to also support municipalities and Indigenous communities in Canada.
• Canada's Road Safety Strategy 2025, produced in 2016 by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, is an excellent source for guidance on Canadian road safety priorities.

• Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program
• 2023-2024 Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program application
• Projects funded by the Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program in 2021 to 2022
• Projects funded by the Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program in 2020 to 2021
• Projects funded by the Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program in 2019 to 2020
• Canada's Road Safety Strategy 2025

SOURCE Transport Canada - Ottawa