Toronto Transit Commission CEO Andy Byford has penned a scathing letter in which he says a "small minority of staff" are contributing to the downfall of the TTC's reputation.

The letter, titled "Restoring the public's faith in a safe TTC," was sent to employees Friday following several incidents in which TTC staff have come under fire for everything from sleeping on the job to texting while driving.

To read the full letter follow this link.

"In my time here, I have gone on record as saying how much I respect what front-line staff do and how 99 per cent of you do a great job. That remains the case and I will continue to publicly back you," the letter reads. "But a small minority of staff continue to wreck all of our reputations. To them I say: I will not back you, in fact I will expect you to face the consequences of your actions, especially if you put customers' safety at risk."

Over the past two weeks, several TTC riders armed with cellphone cameras have captured TTC operators reading a newspaper while driving and parking illegally to get a snack.

The pictures have surfaced in the media, causing a significant public outcry.

"As your CEO, I cannot and will not defend such incidents," the letter reads. "Such behaviors are not only unacceptable; they lead to even more scrutiny and potential for assault."

Byford, who took over the top job at the TTC in March, has often listed improving customer service at the commission as one of his biggest priorities.

In his letter, he said it's important employees share his vision.

"Between us, we can transform our company's reputation and stop this ongoing criticism of what we do," he said. "But we can only do this if everyone does their job professionally."

In an interview with CP24, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 president Bob Kinnear said Byford is within his rights to remind employees of what is expected of them.

In fact Kinnear said he made a similar call to members Thursday night.

"We have an expectation our operators will not be texting, using the phone or reading newspapers in commission of their duties," he said. "It is unacceptable."

TTC spokesperson Brad Ross told CP24 it was important to take "immediate action".

"When we see stories about one or two people not following the rules it causes concern for the public and concern for us an organization, so it was important to take action immediately to demonstrate both to the public and to our staff that we are serious about this," he said.

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