Complaints about OC Transpo bus drivers flood city's fraud hotline

OC Transpo is reviewing all bus routes in the system. The service will be hosting public consultations to hear from riders in May and June. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa's auditor general will no longer investigate complaints about bad driving by OC Transpo operators, as tips continue to flood the fraud and waste hotline about driver behaviour.

Nathalie Gougeon says the hotline has been receiving approximately five to 10 reports a day over the past year linked to bus operator "compliance issues", and it is overwhelming her office.

"I believe that the number of cases which continue to be received by the office has actually become an abuse of the fraud and waste hotline," Gougeon said.

"These cases are significant and require a significant amount of resources just for our office to review and to triage them."

Ottawa's fraud and waste hotline received 201 tips in 2022, and another 1,187 reports that were similar in nature.

"The majority of the similar in nature reports received in 2022 are consistent with allegations that we investigated in 2021 and 2022 linked to violations of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act by OC Transpo bus operators," Gougeon said.

The auditor general released a report in June 2022 after the fraud and waste hotline received over 400 reports in eight months related to alleged violations of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act by OC Transpo bus drivers.

Gougeon's report said tips to the hotline alleged that OC Transpo bus operators were not activating the left side turn signal, turning right without stopping at a stale yellow light or running a solid red light at specific intersections. A report by Gougeon's office found 67 per cent of observed bus operators did not signal as they departed the bus stop at one intersection, violating the Highway Traffic Act.

Gougeon told the Audit Committee that since her office has already investigated OC Transpo operators and is working with management to address the "very important issues", the auditor general's office will no longer investigate complaints about driving behaviour.

"I can no longer continue to commit significant resources and daily resources for an issue for which, firstly, we have already conducted an investigation on and, secondly, for which management has taken steps to address," Gougeon said.

"As of today, I will no longer be intaking and tracking these cases unless new concerns are raised."

Transit Services General Manager Renee Amilcar told the committee that OC Transpo takes the auditor general's findings "very seriously."

Amilcar says OC Transpo will provide a two to three-hour training course for drivers to review the rules of the road under the Highway Traffic Act.