Ontario is one step closer to establishing standards for elevator repair times after the provincial government passed the Access to Consumer Credit Reports and Elevator Availability Act last week. Among other things, the legislation addresses access to elevators amid growing concerns about prolonged breakdowns of the vertical transportation systems that residents of multi-storey residential buildings, long-term care and seniors’ homes rely on.

The province’s action plan to improve elevator availability also calls for existing maintenance requirements to be more strictly policed; for elevator performance data to be made available to prospective multi-residential home buyers and renters; and for new standards to be created for how much elevator capacity is required in new high-rise buildings.

Businesses and the public will have an opportunity to provide input into what the standards should look like in forthcoming consultations.

“We heard from a lot of people during debate, and I want them all to know that we’re committed to continuing our work with them,” Minister of Government and Consumer Services Tracy MacCharles said in a news release. “I know we can count on them to continue to provide constructive feedback as regulations are developed.”