We have been conned over light-rail system

Re: Trillium Line dispute prompts call to look at the city’s policies, Feb. 12.

Like the mayor and council and his transportation managers, I have no idea or experience in purchasing and installing a lightrail system. But I think I would have looked at all the successfully operating systems around the world before choosing one, avoiding any new, untested systems and trains.

And I would not employ a company to manufacture or install the system if it had a background of patronage and corruption. I would not have built three short spurs of rail going from nowhere to nowhere, but would have built one complete run end-to-end. I would not change a reasonable bus system until the train system had run completely trouble-free for at least several months. And finally, I would not blame the passengers for the shortcomings of a system I had purchased and installed.

So what to do now? Like other voices, including several councillors, I think the old bus system should be reinstalled, at whatever cost. One spurs should be completed end-to-end: Kanata, Orléans or Barrhaven to the city centre. And not until that spur has operated as successfully as many other new systems around the world should the city pay any more to RTM.

The problems occurring are not simple short-term. The actual quality of the system is in question. We have been conned. None of the set and agreed objectives between the City and RTG/ RTM have been met. At the next council elections, I suggest we need a new slate of citizens who don’t have outrageous ambitions or lack qualified business skills. And who may raise Ottawa to the quality city it used to be.

Andrew Hartshorn, Kanata

At the next council elections, I suggest we need a new slate of citizens who don’t have outrageous ambitions or lack qualified business skills. And who may raise Ottawa to the quality city it used to be. Kanata resident Andrew Hartshorn