Inspector General urges MBTA to track parts and check vendor bills

The Inspector General recommends tighter parts tracking and asks the MBTA to make staff follow its parts handling rules. The tracking recommendation covers stockrooms at MBTA bus garages and rail car houses. The MBTA said it had asked Unipart Rail to develop a tracking process for these stockrooms. The Inspector General did not confirm the MBTA's reported improvement.

The Inspector General recommends that the MBTA count parts without warning from time to time. The recommendation covers both the central warehouse and stockrooms at MBTA repair sites. The counts would check whether Unipart Rail's records match the parts on hand.

The Inspector General recommends periodic invoice checks and continuous enforcement of the Unipart Rail contract. The recommendations concern the MBTA's warehouse and parts delivery contract with Unipart Rail. Invoice checks should compare bills with contract rates, bonus and penalty calculations, and supporting records. The report calls for bonuses and penalties to be assessed from the first day of the contract and throughout its life.