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Audit of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority

This audit of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority examines the maintenance of its fleet vehicles, the use of non-revenue-producing vehicles, and reporting of financial information. The audit examined the period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017.

Organization: Office of the State Auditor
Date published: October 5, 2018

Executive Summary

In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) for the period July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017. In this performance audit, we assessed certain aspects of FRTA’s preventive maintenance activities related to its fleet of vehicles, including equipment and vehicles for transporting passengers with disabilities under the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. We also examined FRTA’s use of its non-revenue-producing vehicles, as well as its compliance with the General Laws regarding providing its financial records to the Secretary of Administration and Finance for public disclosure.

Below is a summary of our findings and recommendations, with links to each page listed.

Finding 1

FRTA did not submit required financial information to the Commonwealth to be made available to the public on a searchable website.

Recommendations
  1. FRTA should develop formal policies and procedures for submitting this required information to the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
  2. FRTA should establish monitoring controls to ensure that the staff members assigned to this task adhere to these policies and procedures.

Finding 2

FRTA did not properly document the use of its non-revenue-producing vehicles by its employees.

Recommendations
  1. FRTA should establish policies and procedures, consistent with those established by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, that require a log for all its non-revenue-producing vehicles that documents the following:
    a. the name and driver’s license expiration date of the employee who used the vehicle 
    b. the date and time the vehicle was picked up 
    c. the date and time the vehicle was returned
    d. the vehicle’s license plate number
    e. the vehicle description
    f.     the trip’s intended destination and purpose
    g.     the beginning odometer reading
    h. the condition of the vehicle before and after use
    i. any damage
    j. any maintenance issues identified during use
  2. FRTA should ensure that these policies and procedures include monitoring controls to ensure that they are adhered to.

A PDF copy of the audit of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority is available here.

List of Abbreviations

EOAF

Executive Office for Administration and Finance

FTA

Federal Transit Administration

FRTA

Franklin Regional Transit Authority

MassDOT

Massachusetts Department of Transportation

MBTA

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

RTA

regional transit authority

RTAI

Ron Turley Associates, Inc.

RTD

Rail and Transit Division

Table of Contents

Contact

Phone

Main (617) 727-2075

Online

Auditor@sao.state.ma.us

Fax

(617) 727-3014

Address

Massachusetts State House
Room 230
Boston, MA 02133
Directions 

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