In the wake of a number of high-profile service disruptions and procurement blunders, an Ottawa city councillor is calling for an independent comprehensive review of OC Transpo operations and procurement procedures.
West Carleton–March Coun. Eli El Chantiry discussed a motion to hire an expert panel to examine the operation from top to bottom. It will be addressed at the next council meeting.
The last comprehensive review of operations at OC Transpo was conducted in 1998 after four garage workers were shot and killed after a former employee went on a rampage through the St. Laurent garage.
Now it’s time for another review, El Chantiry said.
“Quite a bit of changes are taking place, we’re a bigger city, more routes, more buses, and other players are coming to the table.”
In the new year, a maintenance oversight forced OC Transpo to cancel over 200 trips. City council is still dealing with the cost of a new garage for articulated buses that has risen from $60 million to $97 million in the past two years. Last year, the city was threatened with lawsuits over the purchase of a next-stop announcement system.
