Comptroller: AMA didn’t use allocated funds for system management
By The Star Staff
The published results of a comptroller’s office investigation into the operation of the Metropolitan Bus Authority’s (AMA by its Spanish initials) Amatrack system, which the AMA contracted through bidding in 2018 for the maintenance, administration, fuel monitoring and control of the fleet, found that the authority never used allocated funds.
“The investigation revealed that the Amatrack system, for which $4,581,649 was disbursed, was never used,” Comptroller Yesmín Valdivieso announced on Wednesday. This situation, contrary to Law 230 of 1974, the Accounting Law of the Government of Puerto Rico, is attributed to the discrepancies between the [Amatrack] company’s personnel and the AMA’s personnel, regarding compliance with the authority’s requirements.”
The comptroller’s review found, among other things, that between September and October 2021 the modules of “Inventory” “Preventive Maintenance,” “Regular Route” and “Call and Ride” were not used, and that the “Fuel” module did not interface with the Amatrack system. In addition, “the 150 tablets purchased for the use of drivers and mechanics were in disuse, and the GPS geolocation system installed in the vehicles was not working,” Valdivieso said in a written statement..
The report recommends that the AMA president and general manager identify the personnel responsible for the administration and monitoring of the Amatrack system in order to achieve its implementation and continuity of services.