The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) commended TransLink Commissioner Martin Crilly for rejecting the transit authority’s proposed 12.5 per cent fare hike and for highlighting the inefficiency of the organization.

“What the Commissioner has reported is just the tip of the iceberg of inefficiency at TransLink,” said Jordan Bateman, CTF B.C. Director. “The promised BC Hydro-style provincial audit will no doubt find even more waste in TransLink.”

In his memo to Crilly, the efficiency consultant who reviewed TransLink said the findings, “do not represent the only areas of cost saving and are not necessarily even the most promising areas… the list is not comprehensive either in the areas reviewed nor for the organization as a whole. We did not review the rail division, major roads/bridges and police. Nor did we examine in detail several significant areas of spending, including corporate and administrative costs, information technology, etc.”

“Clearly the provincial government audit team has plenty of ground to cover,” said Bateman, dismissing criticisms from some mayors and TransLink staff that other audits were unnecessary. “Most disturbing—but unsurprising—was that TransLink’s 2010 administrative costs, as a percentage of total revenues, were higher than all four Canadian peer comparators. The TransLink money drain starts at the top and should be laid at the feet of the same senior executives who want big bonuses.”

Crilly’s efficiency report identified up to $71 million in short term savings and another $66 million in ongoing annual savings—more than enough to cover the $30 million shortfall regional mayors claim they need a property tax increase to cover.

The CTF has been critical of TransLink’s operations for many years, and in the past several months, the media, whistleblowers and CTF itself have highlighted several pockets of waste.

“The Commissioner has done right by TransLink riders, but now it’s up to the Board and Mayor’s Committee to stand up for taxpayers at large and support the Premier’s BC Hydro-style audit,” said Bateman. “TransLink is not nearly as efficient as it says it is. The Commissioner has found it to be padding its budget requirements and able to handle downturns in gas tax and toll revenues.”