Monday, April 30, 2007
Why Not Try Transit Outsourcing?
Over the weekend a newspaper report detailed the new contract negotiated by the Westmoreland County Transit Authority with a private operator to handle transit service for the next five years. The Authority expects to lower its operating expenses over the next couple of years as a result of the contract.
Now why is it that the Westmoreland County Authority has not been upheld as a model for contracting out transit service as a way to save money and bring about efficiencies? Consider that the Authority has always been a non-operating one and has not had to increase fares since 1992. That’s quite a contrast to what has happened with the Port Authority since 1992 with on-again, off-again proposals of fare hikes and service cuts. Also recall that was the year PAT drivers went on strike and shut the system down.
Imagine what would happen if the Port Authority board and management decided to embrace our idea of allowing private operators to bid on the routes PAT plans to abandon. That would at least give the opportunity for a trial run.
But we are not holding our breath. Not only would the PAT union rally against it, we would not be surprised at all to see other public sector unions in the County jump to their side. Yet, in neighboring Westmoreland County there is no such agitation from other County unions. Maybe they know something we don’t.
Now why is it that the Westmoreland County Authority has not been upheld as a model for contracting out transit service as a way to save money and bring about efficiencies? Consider that the Authority has always been a non-operating one and has not had to increase fares since 1992. That’s quite a contrast to what has happened with the Port Authority since 1992 with on-again, off-again proposals of fare hikes and service cuts. Also recall that was the year PAT drivers went on strike and shut the system down.
Imagine what would happen if the Port Authority board and management decided to embrace our idea of allowing private operators to bid on the routes PAT plans to abandon. That would at least give the opportunity for a trial run.
But we are not holding our breath. Not only would the PAT union rally against it, we would not be surprised at all to see other public sector unions in the County jump to their side. Yet, in neighboring Westmoreland County there is no such agitation from other County unions. Maybe they know something we don’t.
