TTC users come and go through the entrance to the TTC in Toronto on March 1, 2011.Peter Power/The Globe and Mail
Hapless tourists and transit neophytes will get a helping hand at TTC stations starting tomorrow when they roll out the summer ambassador program.
Seven downtown subway stations will feature kiosks staffed by TTC ambassadors from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The staff will provide information about the system, including maps and directions. The TTC is using 18 of its summer students to staff the booths.
"They will now be the face of the TTC to the public," said Karen Stintz, TTC chair. The program is an expansion of the old ambassador program, which was mainly used for special events.
Its development is a result of a 2010 report on the state of customer service at the TTC, which recommended ambassadors be available during peak times.
The kiosks will be at the busy downtown stations: St. George, Queen's Park, St. Patrick, Union Station, Queen Station, Dundas Station and Bloor-Yonge Station.
According to TTC spokesperson Brad Ross, the kiosk features a portable banner with a map of attractions in the area of the station and surface routes. They will test out the program during the summer and seek a more permanent solution if it is successful.