Pembroke — It was no surprise to the people in Renfrew County that winter highway maintenance needs to be better, noted Renfrew-Nipising-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski.
The Auditor General’s report on Winter Highway Maintenance, which was recently released, found that in 2009, a significant change was made to how the Ministry of Transportation handled its contracting process. While the change has been successful in reducing and containing winter highway maintenance expenditures, it has done so at the cost of Ontario’s roads not being as well-maintained in the winter as they used to be, the MPP said. In essence, over the past five years, winter highway maintenance service levels have declined from the level that Ontarians have historically been used to.
MPP Yakabuski noted the report confirms the Ministry’s performance-based contracts introduced in 2009, which were initiated for no other reason but to save money, meaning contracts to the lowest bidder, and contractors with inadequate equipment failing to meet already extended road clearing standards-from two to eight hours following snow.
MPP Yakabuski said, “Issues surrounding less equipment, and supplies used by the contractors prevented timely road cleaning, but the fact is that it was the Ministry that dictated the standards and the level of service.”
He added, “It’s government’s job to ensure equipment levels and service standards maintain the safety of Ontario motorists, yet for a $36 million savings, the Liberal government made the decision to waive that responsibility, placing the safety and lives of Ontarians at risk.”
The Liberal Government, with their risky contract process, created this mess and it is up to them to fix it.
“We will be watching closely the next time the snow flies,” concluded MPP Yakabuski.
