| Organization: | Office of the State Auditor |
|---|---|
| Date published: | July 1, 2026 |
Executive Summary
In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has performed an audit of certain activities of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024.
In this performance audit, we examined the following:
- To what extent did PVTA establish and implement policies and procedures to identify and mitigate potential causes of electrical fires in its battery electric buses (BEBs) in accordance with Sections 673.25(b)(1)(2)(i), (c)(1), and (d)(1) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations; Section IV of the “PVTA Agency Safety Plan”; and Appendix B of the Springfield Area Transit Company and Valley Area Transit Company’s (SATCo/VATCo’s) “Electrical Safety Plan”?
- Did PVTA ensure that its two contracted operating companies performed preventative maintenance on its BEBs in accordance with Section B of SATCo/VATCo’s “Vehicle Maintenance Plan” and Section 1 of the University of Massachusetts Transit Services’ “Vehicle Maintenance Plan”?
Below is a summary of our findings, the effects of those findings, and our recommendations, with hyperlinks to each page listed.
| Finding 1 | PVTA should identify and mitigate potential safety hazards related to its BEBs to prevent future damage to vehicles and/or serious injury to employees and members of the public. |
| Effect | If PVTA does not identify causes of potential battery and electrical fires and does not put measures in place to mitigate the occurrence of fires, then PVTA assumes a higher risk of adverse situations, including prolonged fires, damage to vehicles and facilities, service disruptions, and injury to employees and members of the public. |
| Recommendations |
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| Finding 2 | PVTA should ensure that qualified maintenance employees complete electrical safety training before performing preventative maintenance services on BEBs to reduce the risk of injury and/or inadvertent damage to BEBs. |
| Effect | If PVTA cannot demonstrate that qualified maintenance employees complete required training on BEB maintenance, then there is a higher risk that PVTA may not detect initial warning signs of electrical and other hazards, leading to vehicle damage and potential injuries to employees and members of the public. Maintenance employees who have not completed the required training may face a higher risk of injury when maintaining BEBs and, without completing CPR, first aid, and bloodborne pathogen training, may not be able to assist others who have been injured. |
| Recommendations |
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| Finding 3 | PVTA should ensure that preventative maintenance is always performed on BEBs at required intervals to reduce the risk of severe injuries to employees and members of the public, as well as potential damage to the BEBs. |
| Effect | If PVTA cannot demonstrate that preventative maintenance is conducted in accordance with its contracted operating companies’ vehicle maintenance plans, then PVTA assumes a higher risk of damage to the electrical components of its BEBs. This could lead to traffic accidents—and avoidable damage to or loss of vehicles—and may result in severe injuries to employees and members of the public. |
| Recommendation | PVTA should establish monitoring controls over its preventative maintenance process to ensure that preventative maintenance services are conducted at 6,000 miles, or within the allowable range of 600 miles above or below the mileage schedule. |
Post-audit Action
On March 7, 2025, a BEB began smoking inside the PVTA maintenance garage in Springfield, which was nearly empty. PVTA detected this, and the Springfield Fire Department responded by soaking the BEB with water for nearly six hours. PVTA’s Safety Committee updated its safety procedures on March 11, 2025 to charge BEBs only during hours when employees occupy the facility, to reduce the maximum charging capacity of all BEBs to 75%, and to garage all BEBs outdoors.
Table of Contents
- List of Abbreviations
- Overview of Audited Entity
- Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
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- PVTA should identify and mitigate potential safety hazards related to its battery electric buses to prevent future damage to vehicles and/or serious injury to employees and members of the public.
- PVTA should ensure that qualified maintenance employees complete electrical safety training before performing preventative maintenance services on battery electric buses to reduce the risk of injury and/or inadvertent damage to battery electric buses.
- PVTA should ensure that preventative maintenance is always performed on battery electric buses at required intervals to reduce the risk of severe injuries to employees and members of the public, as well as potential damage to the battery electric buses.
Downloads
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Open PDF file, 584.37 KB, Audit Report - Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (English, PDF 584.37 KB)