Major delays hit GO’s Lakeshore rail line last week, when the eastern section was closed on Monday for a pedestrian fatality and again on Thursday for a major fire next to the tracks near Danforth station. The ripple effect was felt into Friday when some railway personnel reached their federally-mandated work hour limits and several trains were cancelled.
During the disruptions some riders coped by staying downtown later; others travelled by subway and connecting GO bus service into Durham region. Still others were stuck waiting aboard trains or in stations.
Brad Leveille of Whitby writes that he was caught on a train for two hours as officials at the fire repeatedly closed and opened the Lakeshore rail line on Thursday. “We all understand emergency situations are outside of GO Transit control,” he writes. “However, the completely unorganized GO response to these situations is what riders find most frustrating.”
PC Leader John Tory stated earlier this year that GO Transit managers should be accountable for late trains. He said in June, “If they don’t meet their own standard they’ll suffer the same fate that other people suffer in business, which is you lose your job.”
Tory later tempered his comments, acknowledging that GO is subject to train traffic, weather and other factors, but told In Transit there needed to be “a reasonable, and reasonably high, standard of performance that the travelling public would have the right to expect.”
From my perspective, Tory’s plan to dismiss transit managers unfairly tapped the frustration riders feel, and showed too little research into the realities of what GO can, and cannot, do. Holding up the private sector as a benchmark was also off the mark, at least where transport providers are concerned. This summer, U.S. airline passengers endured widespread delays and complained bitterly of inadequate treatment by air carriers, but there have been little or no reports of any company executives being let go for poor on-time performance or sloppy communication.
Nonetheless, we need an extensive and open discussion about accountability for public transit providers in the GTA. Riders should have access to credible third-party assessments of how well our services are being run, planned and how officials are responding during emergencies. The committees that oversee the region’s transit agencies can then develop performance standards. But these bodies must do a better job of connecting with riders, particularly GO’s board.
If Ontario politicians want to take a responsible approach instead of pandering to votes, then promise specific funds for accountability and communication. Set up formal advisory committees drawn from actual transit riders, to meet directly with managers and deal with ongoing complaints — and put the details online.
