The TTC is considering legal action against Bombardier Inc. after the company said it will not be able to meet yet another deadline on the city's long-delayed streetcar order.
On Friday, the TTC announced the Montreal-based company has said it will not be able to deliver the 20 new streetcars promised to the city by the end of this year. The news comes after a string of other delays on the order, and mounting frustration among city officials.
As of this week, the TTC has received just 10 of the 67 streetcars that should have arrived according to the original contract. Bombardier, citing technical production problems, says it now expects to have 16 new streetcars in service in Toronto by the end of this year. In total, the city is expecting 204 streetcars by the end of 2019.
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In a statement, TTC chair Josh Colle said he is "incredibly disappointed" by the news. This past summer, Mr. Colle and TTC CEO Andy Byford visited Bombardier's Thunder Bay assembly plant to try to understand the source of delays, and to speed up the order.
"They have let down the TTC, our customers, the good workers in Thunder Bay and all Toronto residents," Mr. Colle said Friday. "We will not let Bombardier's incompetence hold our patient and loyal customers hostage." A statement from Bombardier on Friday afternoon said that the company plans to extend production hours to speed things along.
"Bombardier regrets that its performance on this particular project has been disappointing to the Toronto Transit Commission and its riders and remains fully committed to continue to support its customer with proven solutions," the statement said.
The TTC is now asking its board to explore future sanctions against Bombardier. The agency is also asking its board to look into legal action against the company – including requesting a $50-million late delivery fee.