The Buzz · Ottawa Morning Wire

Your OC Transpo managers might not even be qualified.

Your OC Transpo commute is getting... interesting.

You know, sometimes I think the real story isn't on Parliament Hill, it's just off it, and this one? This one is pure Ottawa bureaucratic theatre. You think your commute is tough? Try being an OC Transpo manager who, apparently, didn't even meet the basic job requirements. The city's Auditor General found that some management positions at OC Transpo were filled by people who didn't actually have the minimum qualifications. *Mon Dieu*, it's like an episode of "The Office," but with more delays on the Confederation Line. And this comes right after they closed all the Line 1 bathrooms because of... let's just say "vandalism and needle use." It makes you wonder who's actually running the show, no?

### What This Means for Your Ride

This isn't just some inside-baseball audit report. When the people in charge of getting us from, say, Barrhaven to the ByWard Market, aren't even qualified, it explains a lot. It makes you question every single LRT breakdown, every bus that doesn't show up in the middle of a January snowstorm.

* **Trust Issues:** It erodes public confidence in OC Transpo, which, let's be honest, wasn't exactly at an all-time high to begin with. * **Service Quality:** You have to wonder if this lack of qualified oversight contributes directly to the service issues residents face daily, whether you're trying to get to work downtown or just grab some shawarma on Bank Street. * **Accountability:** Who is responsible for hiring these folks? And what are we going to do about it?

It’s one thing to have a bad day on the job, but to not even meet the *minimum requirements* for the job you’re supposed to be managing? That's a whole different level of "structured." It’s an insult to everyone who actually has to navigate our transit system. The real story is never on the Hill — it's always just off it.

Simone Okafor-Bouchard, MiTL Sports Desk, Ottawa.

My colleagues on the Morning Wire dive into this mess every day — catch their take live at mornings.live.

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