Until recently, Winnipeg Transit had a dirty secret -- dry-clean-only uniforms that cost the fare-paying public plenty to upkeep.
Now afer decades of dry-cleaning bills that often ran as high as $20,000 a year, Transit Tom is finally pulling on a new machine-washable uniform.
But the cost of buying new duds for Tom and keeping them looking good is far more than many people might expect.
During the next few months, each Winnipeg Transit driver is set to get machine-washable, navy-blue duds, including new-look pants, winter parkas, rain jackets, fleece jackets, toques and a summer cap.
The cost for thte new uniform comes in at $350 per person -- about $100 less than the old uniform. But, according to transit officials, saving money wasn't their primary objective.
"We wanted to give our operators something a little more comfortable," said Keith Martin, manager of operations for Winnipeg Transit.
And Tom hasn't always been comfortable.
A case in point is the old so-called rain jackets that absorbed water.
They are being replaced with new, high-tech tops that shed water.
But with more than 900 operators, keeping Tom feeling comfortable desn't come cheap.
The bill for outfitting everyone over the next few months will likely top $310,000.
Once you've put it on, you've got to keep it looking good, so each operator also gets a $200 credit each year to replace worn garments at Winnpeg Transit's private clothing shop, which has its own dedicated staff member.
The credit system is new, replacing an old system in which garments were replaced at regular intervals whether drivers needed them or not.
Until this year, the cost of keeping up appearances was running at $225,000 a year.
Now transit offiicials hope the new $200-credit system means drivers only replace what is needed. Between those savings and the money normally spent on dry-cleaning, they expect to wind up ahead by about $40,000 in the clothing department.