Letter Report on the Public Safety (Uniformed Services) Agencies’ Monitoring of Their Employees Who Use an E-ZPass and Parking Permits…
AUDIT REPORT IN BRIEF
This audit determined if the Public Safety “Uniformed Services” agencies are effectively monitoring their employees who use an E-ZPass and parking permits while driving City-owned or personally-owned vehicles on City business in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
*This audit addressed the FDNY and NYPD; Department of Correction (DOC) will be discussed in separate audit.
New York City requires that only those employees who exercise reasonable care in operating City- or personally-owned vehicles be allowed to use them to conduct City business. This requirement is outlined in the City of New York’s “City Vehicle Driver Handbook” (Regulations). All agency heads through the Agency Transportation Coordinator (ATC) must ensure that all employees assigned a City-owned vehicle either for full-time use or temporary use are authorized to drive. It is also the ATC’s responsibility to ensure that these drivers have valid licenses and insurance (if they are driving their personal vehicles). The driver’s license should be a New York State License unless the employee is exempt from City residency requirements. If this is the case, then the authorized driver must have a valid license from the state where he/she resides and must have the appropriate classification for the vehicle which he/she is driving on City business. The Regulations further specify that City agencies must establish programs that promote safety along with proper training in the use of motor vehicles.
E-ZPasses should be issued only to authorized drivers, thus allowing said Agency personnel to perform their responsibility in an effective manner. E-ZPasses are issued by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Bridges and Tunnels (MTA). All E-ZPass usage must be reported to the ATC. Drivers are allowed to use a City-sponsored E-ZPass only when conducting official City business and in connection with the approved use of a City government vehicle. Subsequently, the driver must fill out a vehicle trip log detailing what the vehicle was used for and why it needed to be used so that accurate agency vehicle trip log books can be maintained. The MTA sends detailed summary reports on travel to the designated agency E-ZPass representative for review.
Drivers must be aware of their agency’s in-house procedures regarding the use of parking permits, including areas where City government vehicles are permitted to park. Parking permits must be properly displayed to ensure visibility through the windshield. Permits may only be used for official City business in connection with the assigned City government vehicle and only as described by the parking permit and any other accompanying instructions.
Results
We found that both Public Safety “Uniformed Services” agencies discussed in this audit report, FDNY and NYPD monitored the use of E-ZPasses and permits by their authorized drivers in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. In addition, we specifically noted that NYPD controls were in place to adequately monitor the more than one million E-ZPass transactions.
The report does not include our review of the FDNY and NYPD’s controls regarding driving behavior, which was addressed in a prior report (Letter Report on the Public Safety Agencies’ Monitoring of Their Employees Who Drive City-Owned or Personally-Owned Vehicles on City Business, Audit # 7R12-091A issued June 25, 2012). The other Public Safety Agencies (Non-Uniformed Services) were covered in a separate audit (# 7R13-090AL) dated January 7, 2013.
In their written responses, FDNY and NYPD agreed with the report.