Op-Ed: Toronto Transit Commission Needs to Literally Clean Their Act

For decades, Torontonians have had to deal with the TTC's fiasco but we never get anything in return. Not even a streetcar nor a bus to be clean and hygienic.

Since 1999 the Toronto Transit Commission has been on strike three times. During those ten years, the TTC has constantly raised their fares, which is now at $2.75 per ride, or $109 per month for a metro pass. With the service interruptions and the fare hikes, riders of the TTC are prone to operators who are rude, obnoxious and sometimes just downright disgusting. Also the TTC is constantly delayed as much as GO transit. Buses, streetcars and trains are consistently late due to a mechanical malfunction, construction, suicide attempt or lethargy of the operators at hand. At least, with all of these faults of the TTC, we would get clean platforms, seats and other hygienic areas however, it is quite the opposite. Nearly everywhere a rider steps on is dirt, gum, trash or miscellaneous things that would not be appropriate to say on this website. Don’t Torontonians deserve at least a clean bus? We pay $109 per month for delays, detestable TTC operators and fare hikes, so isn’t it at least possible to get a clean ride? Majority of my transit route is going on an Eglinton East bus to Eglinton Station and vice versa and the only time I usually see a clean bus is when I get on the 56 Leaside or 51 Leslie. Why can’t I get a clean ride on a 54 Lawrence or a 34 Eglinton? Sure, there are a lot more riders on the 54 but we pay high prices for good service. So if that means that the TTC Chairman Adam Giambrone or a TTC train operator has to take a pay cut; so be it. I am sick and tired of sitting down on a seat on the TTC and then getting home and finding that my pants smell like one-hundred different toxins. For once I want consistent cleanliness. I know I will never have the chance to pay a lower fare ever again but I do know that it is possible to have a clean bus ride home. Before you start thinking that I my concerns are unfounded and that the TTC cannot possibly afford this, please take a look at how much the TTC pays their employees for subpar service: Technical Support Analyst: $69,000 to $87,000 Assistant Superintendent: $79,000 to $100,000 QA Test Analyst: $62,000 to $78,000 Community Liaison Officer: $62,000 to $78,000 One TTC Collector made $125,000 Just as the city service workers are overpaid and receive too many benefits and other goodies such as pensions, the TTC slackers should be paid less and fares should go down but for some reason these TTC unions receive astronomical salaries. Why? Indeed there are many pigs in the city of Toronto but that’s one thing I can’t blame on the TTC: a person who does not use deodorant.