Rob Ford was the one who signed the final contract.
Though do you suggest perhaps that we should have not awarded the streetcar contract to the lowest bidder? Wasn't the next bid about $7.5 million per car instead of $5 million?
One can only hope so.
The only reason there was a 2nd bid was to try to keep a foot in the door since it was a given the order was going to Thunder Bay in the first place.
If the 2031 date does happen or come close, it clearly show the mess one gets going to a single source supplier when there is more than one in the market. If the same penalty clause was written into the contract like all the Orion Buses and this going well past the plan delivery schedule, TTC could wind up getting haft the fleet free based on what taking place today and saving a chunk of money.
Since Ford sign the contract, a good chance he could had remove that penalty clause. Unless one can get their hand on the contract and read it, it a guessing game.
As for residential parking on main streetcar routes, better start looking for another place as well making sure you have 1 car for your place.
It time to look at all residential parking on all streets to bring in new bylaws requiring only 1 car per house if there is no backyard parking. If there is backyard parking, no car allow on the street for that house. If you rent in that house, you are out of luck to have a car there if there is more than 1 renter there.
So far, TTC sole supplier of transit equipment is doing a crappy job and time to forcing them to comply with contract requirements or terminate them and get new suppliers. A number of suppliers are ready to jump in and finish these contract as well waiting for future bids to happen so they can get the orders.
Has anyone seen 4403 outside of Hillcrest yet?? If not, not a good sign that this car is ready for real time service come Aug 31 as well the late delivery of 4404 and up to 4410.
