A deadline is looming for Via Rail to change its policies and allow more than one person travelling in a wheelchair at a time on its trains, or prove that doing so would be far too difficult.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled that the national passenger rail provider must revise an existing policy by Monday that says only one wheelchair or mobility scooter can be safely tied down on its trains, while any additional ones must be dismantled and stored in the baggage area.
A Toronto-based couple who both use mobility scooters sought the change, contending Via's existing policies risk damaging valuable equipment and discriminate against people with physical disabilities.
The Canadian Transportation Agency backed the couple in a ruling earlier this year, giving Via until May 15 to either amend the policy or make a case for why doing so would cause the company undue hardship.
But Via has been resisting the federal agency's order, and tried unsuccessfully to bring the matter before an appeal court rather than going through the CTA's channels.
Neither Via Rail nor its lawyers would comment on whether or not it plans to keep fighting the order or comply with the CTA's demands.
The couple that brought the case forward said Via should be embarrassed by its resistance to increasing accessibility for disabled passengers.