Mayor John Tory has penned an open letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne in which he asks her to grant enhanced powers to TTC enforcement officers that would allow them to direct traffic during transit disruptions and ticket vehicles blocking routes.
The TTC board approved the idea in principal on Dec. 20, however in order to go into effect the province must sign off on changes to the Highway Traffic Act and the Provincial Offences Act.
In his letter, which is dated Jan. 2, Tory says he believes that giving the TTC’s enforcement officers the power to direct traffic during service disruptions will “keep transit and traffic as a whole moving and ensure that TTC riders get more reliable service.”
Tory also says that by giving TTC enforcement officers the power to direct traffic, Toronto police officers will be freed up top focus on “other key priority areas.”
Special constables employed by GO Transit and Ottawa’s OC Transpo already have similar powers as the ones being requested by Tory.
“The ability for Transit Enforcement Officers to direct traffic will support our efforts to keep traffic moving in a growing city,” Tory wrote. “As you know, I am dedicated to getting Toronto moving and fighting congestion in any way possible.”
According to the report considered by the TTC board in December, one of the primary reasons for the enhanced powers is the increased number of maintenance-related subway closures that have required traffic enforcement in recent years. In 2015 there were 35 planned closures over 64 days and in 2016 there 41 planned closures over 77 days.
“When we deploy shuttle buses, either because of a planned subway closure on a weekend or an unplanned subway closure for a medical emergency, they (enforcement officers) would be able to keep the traffic moving because right now there are terrific jam ups that happen,” Tory told CP24. “We just don’t have enough highly-trained and expensive police officers to do this work, nor should police officers be doing that work.”
The city has already asked the province to amend legislation that only allows sworn police officers to direct traffic and in his letter Tory said that he remains interested in introducing civilian traffic “wardens” city-wide.
Speaking with CP24, Tory said he doesn’t think approval for enhanced powers for TTC enforcement officers will be a “big problem” but he said that the city must stay “on top of the province.”
“It is kind of silly that we have to go up and tug at the skirts of the provincial government to ask for permission to do things that just make sense but that’s the way it is,” he said.
CP24 did reach out to the Toronto Police Service for comment; however spokesperson Mark Pugash said that the TPS does not comment on “requests made by other organizations.”
