When the top
employee of the TTC is as disgruntled as any other, it’s time to
look at the way the system is governed and managed. Chief General
Manager Rick Ducharme’s resignation this week puts even more
scrutiny on the way Toronto’s most public organization is run.
Ducharme cited
“political interference” as the main reason for his sudden
departure, and reports indicate he is referring principally to TTC
chair Howard Moscoe. Both care deeply about the the transit system,
and yet relations between the transit governing board, senior
management and the TTC’s largest union are a mess.
The managerial
and political conflicts of this triad collectively let down riders
when an illegal strike closed the system last Monday. However,
consider what Rick Ducharme’s predecessor David Gunn stated
recently; that the TTC is still one of the best transit services in
the world.
Many may
disagree, especially when your bus arrives late, and accompanied by
two others. Yet despite uncertain and inadequate funding for almost
two decades, the TTC continues to move hundreds of thousands a day.
The TTC is not
a business, and yet it is not just a government service. Managers
report to the commission, which although populated entirely by
Toronto councillors, is distinct from the city. Customers fund most
of the daily operating costs through their fares, while expansion
and major maintenance are covered by government; the city, the
province and more recently, Ottawa.
That makes the
job of the top TTC manager very political. You have to coax
politicians at all levels, while keeping a complex network of
trains, buses and streetcars running.
Transit
commissioners have an obligation to define the TTC’s direction, but
having councillors deal directly with union leadership muddies the
waters. Finding a workable relationship between managers and their
political overseers is never easy, and Ducharme’s exit shows we have
to take a sober look at how the TTC works.
Politicians are
considered accountable to voters, but many transit boards also have
non-elected members, including those with experience in business
operations. We need the right balance.
The current
crisis may have already caused power to shift among the three main
players -- commission, top brass, and union -- but don’t count out
behind-the-scenes maneuverings of Toronto council and the province.
Queen’s Park is
right now hurrying through legislation to create the Greater Toronto
Transportation Authority, and will soon decide who sits on the
agency’s board.
Instead of rash
decisions, let’s remember the priorities. We need a smoothly running
transport network with stable and adequate financing. Transit must
be accountable to riders. The service can’t be overly influenced by
unions, private business, or the short-term agendas of politicians
-- at all levels -- who are facing elections over the next year.