WATCH ABOVE: Bombardier promises 20 new streetcars on the road by the end of 2015. There were supposed to be 70. Alan Carter has the story.
TORONTO — TTC CEO Andy Byford and TTC Chair Josh Colle called an impromptu meeting Wednesday morning to express their frustration with Bombardier’s statement on streetcar delivery.
Bombardier has committed to 20 new vehicles to be in service by the end of the year as part of the $1.2 billion streetcar fleet.
Byford says this will be part of the ramp up promise for four new vehicles every month to meet the 2019 deadline. The announcement was made ahead of a scheduled TTC board meeting.
READ MORE: Shoddy manufacturing delays delivery of new TTC streetcars
“What Bombardier has committed to and we think, finally, we have a credible schedule, is that there will be 20 new vehicles in service by the end of the year,” Byford said.
Currently, there are only seven new streetcars in service. Delays are a result of poorly constructed streetcars that were rejected by the TTC.
“We could have had 50 on property … But why would we accept shoddy vehicles that don’t operate, because the end result would be the same, the customer would still would not have seen them,” Byford said.
“It’s better to hold Bombardier to account. It’s better to have Bombardier construct vehicles that work, and work reliably.”
WATCH: TTC boss Andy Byford and TTC chair Josh Colle expressed new anger Wednesday at delays from Bombardier in delivering a new fleet of streetcars.
Both Colle and Byford say they are frustrated with the streetcar delays.
“We put the pressure on Bombardier to know how serious we are,” said Colle.
In June, Byford and Colle travelled to Thunder Bay to meet with Bombardier executives to discuss streetcar delays.
WATCH: Colle, Byford talk Bombardier delays
“The priority absolutely is to hold Bombardier to deliver on their present contract. We are not in a rush to give them extra orders until they can prove they can deliver on the base order,” Byford said.
“The important thing is to get new streetcars on the streets now.”
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