Report: Steamship Authority Cheap, Plagued By Internal Conflicts
HYANNIS (AP) — A study by outside consultants has found that a beleaguered Massachusetts steamship agency is cheap and plagued by in-fighting.
The Seattle-based firm HMS Consulting and Technical's 140-page report released Monday cites "penny pinching" at the authority that provides ferry service between Cape Cod and its islands.
HMS Consulting says the authority's lack of a unified vision "has led to competing factions within the organization."
The Martha's Vineyard ferry cancelled over 500 trips this year. On St. Patrick's Day, a ferry carrying 72 passengers lost power and broke down at sea for five hours.
Consultants found that the ferry service's safety policies could be improved beyond the minimum required by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Steamship Authority General Manager Robert Davis said in a statement that the study would help the agency.
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