Starting in early September, some state employees who work the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be deployed as “mystery shoppers” on the MBTA’s commuter rail system.
They’ll be tasked with informally reporting things like whether riders are paying their fares and whether conductors on the trains are taking appropriate measures to ensure people pay their fares.
“They will be reporting to us what they see,” said Astrid Glynn, the department’s rail and transit administrator.
Gov. Charlie Baker’s transportation chief Stephanie Pollack described the program as an “ongoing way to make sure that we have an accurate picture of the way our customers are experiencing the service.”
The commuter rail is operated by Keolis, a French firm that won a $2.7 billion, eight-year contract. The contract started in July 2014, but the company has been hit with heavy fines related to cleanliness and late trains.
Earlier this year, the commuter rail was battered by the winter storms and took nearly a month to return to normal service levels. The company blamed the weather and old equipment.
MBTA officials hear from customers frequently, as well as from Pollack herself. She often takes both the Green Line and the commuter rail.
“Believe me, people get texts from me,” Pollack said. “This morning’s were water on the ground at Westwood Station.”
“I am my own mystery shopper but I think as part of the formal program, the goal is obviously that the folks from Keolis don’t know that those people are actually doing anything different than being regular passengers, and so anonymity will be important,” she added.
The details of the program – how many "mystery shoppers" will be active – are still being worked out, Pollack said.
They’ll be tasked with informally reporting things like whether riders are paying their fares and whether conductors on the trains are taking appropriate measures to ensure people pay their fares.
“They will be reporting to us what they see,” said Astrid Glynn, the department’s rail and transit administrator.
Gov. Charlie Baker’s transportation chief Stephanie Pollack described the program as an “ongoing way to make sure that we have an accurate picture of the way our customers are experiencing the service.”
The commuter rail is operated by Keolis, a French firm that won a $2.7 billion, eight-year contract. The contract started in July 2014, but the company has been hit with heavy fines related to cleanliness and late trains.
Earlier this year, the commuter rail was battered by the winter storms and took nearly a month to return to normal service levels. The company blamed the weather and old equipment.
MBTA officials hear from customers frequently, as well as from Pollack herself. She often takes both the Green Line and the commuter rail.
“Believe me, people get texts from me,” Pollack said. “This morning’s were water on the ground at Westwood Station.”
“I am my own mystery shopper but I think as part of the formal program, the goal is obviously that the folks from Keolis don’t know that those people are actually doing anything different than being regular passengers, and so anonymity will be important,” she added.
The details of the program – how many "mystery shoppers" will be active – are still being worked out, Pollack said.