Limited Review of OC Transpo Bus Operator Compliance with Regulations Highlights
Highlights from the Limited Review of OC Transpo Bus Operator Compliance with Regulations
Why we did this audit
Over the past eight months, over 400 reports, similar in nature, were received through the City’s Fraud and Waste Hotline (FWHL) alleging violations of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (HTA) and internal City of Ottawa policies and procedures.
Management investigated the alleged HTA violations by OC Transpo Bus Operators and issued a memo to Operators in March 2022. As the Office of the Auditor General continued to receive frequent reports alleging the continuation of these issues, we undertook our own limited review to assess the merit to any of the issues reported.
What we found
We found that, even with limited on-site review, one of the key compliance issues raised in the reports was confirmed. Specifically, we found that for most buses observed (67%), Bus Operators did not signal as they departed the bus stop at one intersection that was specified in the FWHL reports.
We have concluded that some OC Transpo Bus Operators have not altered their behaviour as a result of the communication circulated by management in March 2022 and continue to violate Section 142(2) of the Ontario HTA, as well as internal policies designed to enhance road/driving safety.
We made one recommendation to ensure that:
- Bus Operators consistently comply with the Ontario HTA and applicable internal procedures and practices.