Concord, Calif. – We’ve all heard the saying “there’s safety in numbers”. The numbers recently released by CalTIP – the California Transit Insurance Pool – ranking its 35 public transit members in California, puts the Central Contra Costa Transit Authority at the top of the pack. In this case, having the top rank means having the fewest, least costly insurance claims. Rating comparisons consider the frequency, severity, and average cost of insurance claims.
CalTIP uses miles traveled as the exposure unit used for rating and performance comparisons. An agency’s percentage of losses is then compared to the CalTIP pool as a whole. “An agency with 20% percent of the miles would be expected to incur 20% of the total losses,” explained Katherine Casenave, County Connection Director of Finance. “In all performance categories, County Connection’s exposure ranking was the lowest….meaning the best among all members.”
During the 2007-2008 program year there were 0.71 claims filed against County Connection per 100,000 miles, compared to the average of .90 per 100,000 miles. Additionally, the cost per claim for County Connection was $2,453, compared to the average cost per claim of $5,484. During the reporting period, County Connection logged 4,514,526 miles.
“County Connection’s Training and Preventive Maintenance Program have been held in high regard for decades,” said Gregg Manning, County Connection Board Chairman. “This top ranking demonstrates that our programs are working well, and reflect the pride everyone at County Connection takes in their jobs. All these factors contribute to lower insurance costs for the industry, and most important, greater confidence among our passengers.”
While training and maintenance programs are vital to providing safe, efficient service, there is more to the picture. According to Sharon Porter, County Connection Manager of Safety and Training, “County Connection conducts very thorough investigations to avoid paying fraudulent claims. Our drivers and road supervisors get good information from passengers, and the on-board security cameras help to minimize fraudulent claims that drive up insurance costs.”
CalTIP is a self-insurance program for public transit operators, organized in 1987 to provide stable, affordable insurance to its members. CalTIP currently serves 35 transit operators in California.
County Connection operates a fleet of 29 ft., 35 ft., and 40 ft. fully accessible fixed-route buses, and a fleet of 63 paratransit vehicles, carrying over 5,000,000 passengers each year. For information on bus routes and schedules, please call (925) 676-7500 or visit www.cccta.org.