The Massachusetts Department of Transportation began its auditing of regional transit authorities this summer, recommending only “minor” changes for the bus services on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, the State House News Service reported on Wednesday. Director of Audit Operations James Logan said MassDOT recommended both RTAs institute a ban on bus drivers possessing cell phones when they’re driving passengers, a policy that is in place at the MBTA. Mr. Logan said the local transit officials countered that they prohibit drivers from using cell phones during service in accordance with state law.
MassDOT also recommended the Vineyard Transit Authority require employees to more regularly change computer passwords.
Transportation Secretary Rich Davey recommended audits of the RTAs about a year ago, Mr. Logan said. He said the RTAs didn’t want to undergo audits, noting that that is a normal response, and said the transit agencies on the Vineyard and Nantucket volunteered to go first. The state has 15 RTAs, from the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, the state’s largest, to smaller agencies. Collectively the RTAs provide service to 262 communities, providing more than 29 million trips per year, according to a 2012 MassDOT document.