City councillors will be keeping a much closer eye on Hamilton’s para-transit service.
They have voted to extend an operational agreement with DARTS through June of 2020, during which time the city’s auditor will perform an annual value-for-money audit of the operation.
DARTS will also be asked to meet upgraded service standards and it will be required to report following each fiscal quarter on its operational and financial performance.
In return, the service provider will receive one-time transitional funding of $750,000 to achieve cost savings previously ordered by council, by transitioning its fleet to accessible and non-accessible vans.
The operator of the accessible transit service has been under pressure to find savings since its costs soared by 40% over a recent five-year period.
Councillor Terry Whitehead says the new memorandum of agreement “forces accountability” onto the service.