22.04.2008

NY commissioner quits over crane accident

Ney York city's buildings commissioner, Patricia Lancaster, resigned yesterday, under fire from irate residents and the mayor over the number of fatal construction accidents, including the crane collapse in March that killed seven.

Lancaster was credited for trying to reform an inefficient, corruption-riddled department over six years in office, but left just a day after mayor Bloomberg publicly singled out her agency as a problem.

Lancaster said: "I felt it was time to return to the private sector. I am proud of the groundbreaking work the department has done during my tenure to root out corruption, increase transparency, overhaul the building code and increase safety for workers and the public alike."

Robert LiMandri, the department's first deputy commissioner, agreed to serve as acting commissioner until Bloomberg names a successor.