DDOT bus troubles got major media attention this past week
According to the Detroit Free Press: Detroit Mayor Dave Bing’s office blames bus delays on angry mechanics:
"For several weeks, public transit users in Detroit have flooded City Hall with complaints about buses running extraordinarily late. On Friday, Mayor Dave Bing’s office accused the city’s bus mechanics of sabotaging service in retaliation for cuts in overtime pay.
The delays come at a precarious time for DDOT, which has had to eliminate routes and reduce the frequency of buses as the city battles a budget crisis. In recent years, DDOT’s budget has been cut to $53 million from more than $80 million."
So City Council held a hearing on Friday to hear from riders, mechanics, and management. See summaries on WXYZ TV Channel 7 and FOX 2 News.
And now the Detroit News is reporting: Detroit warns bus mechanics about work delays: Officials say underperforming bus workers will be fired; union denies claim of slowdown:
"City administrators are moving to fire underperforming bus mechanics they blame for massive service delays that have some residents waiting hours for a ride. "If for whatever reason this action continues, unfortunately there are going to be some people who lose their jobs," said Terrence King, who added that nearly half of city’s 449 buses have been off the road for three weeks.
King’s remarks came during a contentious 2 1/2-hour City Council hearing Friday that drew about 100 residents. Many said hours-long waits aren’t uncommon, and the situation has worsened during the Bing administration. This year, the transportation department’s budget shrank to $53 million from $80 million. Officials said there are enough mechanics to do the work. The city has 173 mechanics for 449 buses, about 2.6 per mechanic, compared with the industry standard of four to five buses per mechanic."