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6mo ago

NYC Subway Help Point System Faces Challenges With Prank Calls and Delayed Responses

An audit reveals that half of the calls to the $252 million intercom system are pranks, hindering emergency response times and raising concerns about its effectiveness.

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Back in 2011, MTA officials were over the moon about the installation of the help points. Little did they know they'd become a source of prank calls.

Overview

  • An MTA audit found that 50% of the 140,698 calls made to the Help Point intercom system between May and October 2023 were prank calls, severely impacting its functionality.
  • Only 28% of the calls were from riders seeking genuine assistance, while 22% came from staff conducting equipment checks, further straining resources.
  • Nearly 1,200 emergency calls went unanswered, and the system failed to meet the national standard for emergency response times, with only 75% of calls answered within 15 seconds.
  • The $252 million system, completed in 2018, is undergoing a $79.2 million upgrade to improve its technology and address inefficiencies highlighted in the audit.
  • Recommendations to reduce misuse include installing cameras to identify prank callers, implementing penalties for fake calls, and prioritizing emergency calls over informational ones.