GO Transit launches Passenger Charter and promises improved customer service

TORONTO, Nov. 8, 2010 /CNW/ - Today, GO Transit officially launched its first-ever Passenger Charter: a set of five promises being made to customers to improve their traveling experience.

GO Transit has committed to making customer service a top priority in every aspect of its business and is among a select number of transit organizations in North America to develop a Passenger Charter focused on concrete customer commitments.

The Passenger Charter was developed following extensive consultation with customers, employees and focus groups. The Charter promises that GO Transit will be on time, take safety seriously, keep customers informed, provide a comfortable experience and be quick and courteous. All of GO's frontline employees have received additional training that complements their 'customer-first' approach to their jobs.

"We are always finding ways to improve and make our customers' experience with us an easy one," said Bruce McCuaig, President & CEO, Metrolinx. "The five promises we are making are not stand-alone statements - they come with ways to measure and regularly report to our customers how well we're doing."

At an event this morning, Minister of Transportation Kathleen Wynne, Metrolinx President & CEO Bruce McCuaig, and several GO employees helped introduce the promises GO's Passenger Charter makes to customers. Later today, during the afternoon rush hour at Union Station, customers will have a chance to learn more about the promises and meet with GO employees.

"We are making a commitment to meet our customers' expectations as best as we possibly can," said Gary McNeil, President, GO Transit. "We have listened to our customers and know what's important to them - so we promise to do our best."

Each promise in the Charter will be graded in a report card, with specific targets that will be the goals against which the success of the promises are measured. These measurements include detailed statistics about on-time performance, customer satisfaction, seat availability and information response rates. The report card measures are public, updated frequently and available at gotransit.com in the Passenger Charter section. Customers can also find information online about the improvements GO is making to meet the five promises.

GO Transit is the Province of Ontario's interregional public transit system linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). GO carries nearly 55 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans over 10,000 square kilometres. GO Transit is a division of Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario. Follow GO on Twitter and Facebook.

Disponible en français

For further information: Media enquiries - Vanessa Thomas, [phone]