Toronto transit - The TTC - to privatize or not.
Here are two opinion pieces regarding the TTC and whether it should be privatized or not.
OPINION: TTC Privatization is Not the Best Answer - CityNews
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/774686--in-socialist-stockholm-an-outsourced-transit-service
I don't believe that privatizing is the answer for the TTC.
The number one problem for the TTC is funding. It is the most underfunded (by upper levels of government/tax dollars) of all the transit systems in North America. This is mainly due to Mike Harris, who totally stopped the regular provincial funding of the TTC. And now, thanks to the McGuinty government, this sorry trend continues.
You will notice in the article about the transit system in Stockholm, that the government funds that system far more than the government here funds the TTC.
Without proper funding, the TTC cannot function properly. And, without proper funding, the system in Stockholm, privatized or not, would not be able to offer the good service it does. When you have to stretch your resources so thin, it is difficult to manage and give good service. That is why service has gone downhill in Toronto.
From article one: Talk about
privatization will do nothing to solve this. There is no way
privatization will cover the $220 million funding gap. Indeed, it could
make it worse, as busy, profitable routes are sold off and less revenue
flows to the TTC. Moreover, privatization isn’t going to magically
produce the billions of dollars needed to build Transit City. Focusing
on privatization distracts us from the real issue of how to get the
province to meet its historic funding commitment.
We need to pressure the mayoral candidates, as well as the Toronto MPPs regarding the return of the provincial funding for the TTC. Regaining regular provincial government funding is the key to fixing the TTC.
OPINION: TTC Privatization is Not the Best Answer - CityNews
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/774686--in-socialist-stockholm-an-outsourced-transit-service
I don't believe that privatizing is the answer for the TTC.
The number one problem for the TTC is funding. It is the most underfunded (by upper levels of government/tax dollars) of all the transit systems in North America. This is mainly due to Mike Harris, who totally stopped the regular provincial funding of the TTC. And now, thanks to the McGuinty government, this sorry trend continues.
You will notice in the article about the transit system in Stockholm, that the government funds that system far more than the government here funds the TTC.
Without proper funding, the TTC cannot function properly. And, without proper funding, the system in Stockholm, privatized or not, would not be able to offer the good service it does. When you have to stretch your resources so thin, it is difficult to manage and give good service. That is why service has gone downhill in Toronto.
From article one: Talk about
privatization will do nothing to solve this. There is no way
privatization will cover the $220 million funding gap. Indeed, it could
make it worse, as busy, profitable routes are sold off and less revenue
flows to the TTC. Moreover, privatization isn’t going to magically
produce the billions of dollars needed to build Transit City. Focusing
on privatization distracts us from the real issue of how to get the
province to meet its historic funding commitment.
We need to pressure the mayoral candidates, as well as the Toronto MPPs regarding the return of the provincial funding for the TTC. Regaining regular provincial government funding is the key to fixing the TTC.
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