The Transit Procurement Initiative Office’s mandate is to act as the central procurement agency for local transit system vehicles, equipment, technologies, facilities, and related supplies and services on behalf of Ontario municipalities and transit providers.

The program began at the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario in 2006 with the first joint procurement of conventional 12-metre low floor diesel urban transit buses. In 2008, the program was transferred to Metrolinx.
Metrolinx Act, 2006

Added value

The Transit Procurement Initiative Office provides many value-added benefits to participating transit systems. These include:
· enhanced quality control through in-plant inspection of buses
· fairness commissioner services to oversee the procurement process
· independent project engineer to develop technical specifications and administer the contract, and
· reduced unit cost.

From six original participating municipalities, the program has expanded to include 21 municipalities at the end of 2010. Over 400 buses have been purchased by our partners, including 12-metre hybrid and diesel, nine-metre, and eight-metre low and high floor specialized buses. As a result of the benefits of joint procurement, the Transit Procurement Initiative Office has saved Ontario taxpayers an estimated $5 million.