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Ottawa paid $2.3M for LRT sensors; OC Transpo 'unsure' if contractor will cover it
CBC reports the City of Ottawa paid $2.3 million for sensors on its light rail trains that were supposed to be covered by the contractor responsible for maintenance; OC Transpo's general manager concedes it is unclear whether the money can be recovered, and councillors say that contradicts the contract.
The City of Ottawa paid $2.3 million for sensors known as “smart bugs” on its light rail trains, with taxpayers footing the bill, CBC News reported on November 12. OC Transpo general manager Rick Leary acknowledged it is unclear whether the city will be able to recover the money from the contractor responsible for maintaining the system.
Sensors helped restore double-car service
The sensors detect vibrations and other anomalies in near real time, flagging problem components before they break down, and were central to the plan to restore full double-car service in April. Leary said 59 train cars now have smart bugs, double-car service was restored in June, and the sensors have helped set the stage for testing the eastern extension. He told CBC he authorized the purchase to get more cars on the rails quickly.
Councillors say the account contradicts the contract
When OC Transpo laid out the plan to restore double-car service in April, Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr asked who was paying for it, and associate general manager Troy Charter gave a clear answer: Rideau Transit Group (RTG), the private consortium that built and maintains the system. RTG holds a 30-year maintenance contract, and the city pays the consortium about $4 million to $5 million each month. Carr said the contract is clear about the consortium's responsibilities. Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo, a member of council's transit committee, said the situation “smashes the narrative that all this comes at RTG's cost.”
Recovery uncertain, general manager says
Asked by CBC whether OC Transpo is likely to recover the $2.3 million from RTG's maintenance arm, Leary said: “I'm unsure, to be honest with you. My work with them is to have them maintain it. I buy it, you maintain it.” Rideau Transit Maintenance declined to comment in detail, saying only that legal and commercial discussions about the costs and payment arrangements remain ongoing. The $2.3 million showed up in a list of city contracts last week.
Source: CBC News. RTG has not commented further on who bears the cost.
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