MTA to crews: Truth must be told

THE MTA is wasting no time tightening up how it tracks subway delays.

A transit official issued a bulletin April 2 saying train crews will be “held strictly responsible” for reporting why a trip is late and must explain the reason face-toface with dispatchers.

The directive from NYC Transit’s acting chief officer of field operations, Paul McPhee, was issued after a Daily News report on how transit officials made the unknown causes of late trains disappear. The mystery delays were distributed evenly among established delay categories, like sick passengers and weather.

The memo said terminal supervisors must investigate late trains blamed on “heavy riding.” Eric Loegel, a train operator and union shop steward, called it a “kneejerk reaction” that’ll cost crews precious break time. Supervisors in towers and terminals can use radios and the MTA’s trip database to gather delay details, he said.

“There’s no need to interrogate train crews at the terminal regarding things that should’ve been documented,” Loegel said.

MTA spokesman Shams Tarek said the bulletin reiterates policy dating back to the 1980s.

“The goal has always been to capture accurate and comprehensive information about train trips that are delayed,” he said.