The TTC has unveiled its customer charter — a series of promises to improve service, such as new equipment and better information systems, within the year — as an attempt to improve customer relations.

Andy Byford, the TTC's chief executive officer, said in a statement Thursday the new customer charter commits the TTC to more reliable, punctual service.

Andy Byford, the TTC's chief executive officer, says the new customer charter will commit the TTC to more reliable, punctual service.Andy Byford, the TTC's chief executive officer, says the new customer charter will commit the TTC to more reliable, punctual service. (CBC)

"Fundamental change is required in the way we interact with customers, including the consistency and quality of our service," said Byford in a statement. "As an organization, the TTC must change the processes and underlying culture that will get us to where we need to be."

The charter includes a list of about 30 promises for customers the TTC hopes to deliver on, in areas ranging from cleanliness to modernization to accessibility and keeping customers better informed.

"We will deliver a reliable and punctual streetcar, bus and subway service. Our success will be measured through our daily and monthly scorecards, and our overall performance will be better in 2013 than in 2012," the charter reads.

Highlights from the 2013 TTC charter include:

  • Customers contacting the TTC with a compliment or complaint will have their calls answered in "under 90 seconds". The TTC will get back to "more than 95 per cent of you within five days or less".
  • In the fourth quarter of 2013, there will be two prototype subway stations equipped with Wi-Fi and cellphone service.
  • The TTC will start resdesigning the staff uniform in the second quarter of 2013.
  • The performance of each bus and streetcar route will be posted on the TTC website each quarter so customers know how their route is doing.
  • All stations will be targeted with a "maintenance blitz" starting in the second quarter. This includes pressure washing of walls, floors and pillars at all bus bays, passenger pick-up locations and station entrances.

TTC commissioner, Coun. Josh Colle, said the charter has been in the works for about a year.

"It’s a response to a lot of the classic concerns and complaints that people have had with the TTC," he said.