The state auditor’s workplace will conduct a efficiency audit of the MBTA, specializing in security threat administration and general system enchancment.
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is launching the probe this month to supply “greater transparency and accountability as it pertains to this multi-billion dollar system,” she stated in a Thursday assertion.
The audit will evaluation the T’s efficiency from Jan. 1, 2021 by Dec. 31, 2022, a time interval marked by repeated security failures that prompted a uncommon federal investigation into the company’s subway system.
“We are all aware of the significant challenges across the board at the MBTA,” DiZoglio stated. “Safety issue after issue has arisen and the taxpayers continue to be on the hook. Taxpayers deserve to know how their dollars are being spent.”
DiZoglio, a former state senator from Methuen, first introduced her intention to conduct what she beforehand described as a security audit of the MBTA throughout her marketing campaign for auditor final June.
The probe is not going to be a monetary audit, a spokesperson for DiZoglio stated, however added that discussing the scope can be in opposition to Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards.
DiZoglio’s workplace described the evaluation as a “performance audit” in a Feb. 15 letter despatched to Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca and MBTA officers, however particular particulars had been redacted within the copy shared with the Herald.
MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo stated, “We have received this communication and will be cooperating with the state auditor’s office.”
In her assertion, DiZoglio stated the probe will concentrate on “safety risk management and overall areas of improvement.”
She plans to share the outcomes of this audit with Gov. Maura Healey, the Legislature, employers and most of the people to assist make sure the reliability and security of the area’s public transportation system.
DiZoglio stated residents who take the T or different public transportation have to fret about their security and easily attending to work, college or medical appointments on time, as a consequence of trains that break down or buses that get caught in visitors.
“These issues are impacting hardworking people and our businesses,” DiZoglio stated. “This is simply not acceptable in a state like Massachusetts.”
She added, “It’s frustrating that the T has become synonymous with unreliability. The dependability of people’s daily commute should not be a game of chance.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”