NEW YORK - The MTA is blowing nearly $600,000 over five years on medical-exam perks for its top officials - a move critics say is a waste of the cash-strapped agency's money.

Only 78 of 700 managers last year making more than $80,500 used the rider-funded program that provides the physical exams, the agency said.

That's a whopping $1,500 per employee for the visits, which aren't covered by the bigwigs' state health insurance.

The visits are supposed to catch life-threatening illnesses and diseases, according to agency contracts.

With the MTA cutting hundreds of station agents and cleaners in the next several years, some board members believe that the execs should just pay for the exams themselves.

"In the face of the dire economic circumstances the MTA was and is facing, we should be looking at precisely these types of compensation programs to save money," said board member John Banks.