AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Yes and no. If you aggregate the value of the benefit across all TTC stations, it is certainly a material chunk of change. TTC should be maximising its revenue, so if cars can be parked there, maybe they should be charged for this.
That said, it would be inflammatory to staff relations to retract the benefit, and there are likely legal grounds to prevent the TTC from doing that (google the term 'estoppel'). It's a battle I would not pick to fight....but no harm in reminding TTC workers that they are enjoying a benefit here.
The taxable benefit aspect is interesting. Having endured the odd CRA employer's audit in my time, this might actually meet a threshold that they would attend to. (Mum's the word!)
One does notice that TTC employees seem to park on every available bit of land, including boulevards and places where parking isn't desirable. There may be good reason to enforce parking rules a bit more. This will likely lead to the finding that there are more employees' cars than space available. Again, maybe better not to open the box.
- Paul
The problem is that if you need to aggregate it in order to see the value there probably isn't all that much to derive it from on a site to site basis. And like you've said, I have far, far greater issue of employees parking where they shouldn't be parking.
Personally, I don't have a huge issue if having minor levels of parking (a few spaces) help to increase efficiency and on time performance of staff.
AoD