AUGUSTA, Maine - The commissioner of Maine's Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, General Douglas Farnham, says he plans to meet with Massachusetts Transit Authority officials next week over contract costs at the Maine Military Authority.
General Farnham says he has been in contact with officials at the MBTA to set up a meeting next week to discuss the costs the authority is incurring in refurbishing the dual power buses.
He says the complexity of the buses has led to higher-than-expected costs, and while the cost per bus has improved, Farnham says the contract is not covering expenses.
Work on the buses, meanwhile, is continuing at the authority's Limestone facility, while the contract is being discussed.
The Commissioner of Defense Veterans and Emergency Management, General Doug Farnham, says he plans to meet with Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority officials next week over contract costs at the Maine Military Authority for rebuilding buses.
Farnham 1 “Make sure we have got a better grip on where, where we are going and what the costs are involved, so I would like to say I think by the end of next week we will have a pretty good idea where we are going.”
Farnham says the complexity of the buses has led to higher than expected costs and while the cost per bus has improved, the contract is not covering expenses. The buses are uniquely hinged to maneuver through Boston streets and are dual powered, making them more complex than buses the Authority had worked on. While discussions are underway, work is continuing at the Limestone facility.
Farnham 2 “If you looked at a single bus, that’s; when you start, if you look at a single bus right now we were doing six months ago. It’s just not as good today as we had hoped to be today.”
