Plan to install driver protection on Halifax Transit buses 'not enough,' union says


CBC
Sun, April 9, 2023 

President of Amalgamated Transit Union 508 says protective shields could help but more needs to be done to keep drivers safe. (Robert Short/CBC - image credit)

The union that represents transit operators in the Halifax Regional Municipality says upcoming plans to install driver protection in buses doesn't go far enough.

It comes after the municipality released a quotation request for the supply and delivery of a driver protection system in Halifax Transit's buses last weekend.

Shane O'Leary, president of Amalgamated Transit Union 508, said in an interview that the protection systems are a starting point for ensuring drive safety, but more needs to be done.

"The shields will help if they're installed properly and done right and it's a good quality shield. But that's not enough," he said.

The municipality's request for quotation issued on April 1 says that HRM is looking for pricing on up to 370 units of "slide and stow" protection systems that have "a sliding partition that only the operator can adjust," and "prevent sudden intrusion into the bus operator's area," among other requirements.

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Attacks on transit drivers have been on the rise in recent years, O'Leary said, and many have involved groups of youths.

Creating a transit police force with the power to issue fines and remove passengers from buses would be a further step toward protecting transit operators, he said.

Maggie-Jane Spray, a public affairs adviser with the Halifax Regional Municipality, said in an emailed statement that recently approved funding from the regional council in the upcoming budget year will mean that "all electric buses will be equipped with operator safety barriers when they arrive, beginning in late 2023."

When asked if the city has kept a record of incidents of violence against drivers, Spray said the number of incidents "is difficult to quantify, as not all incidents of aggression or violence would meet the threshold for an incident report, as opposed to a situation involving an assault for which a Halifax Transit supervisor and/or HRP would be called.

"Halifax Transit is installing these barriers in line with other jurisdictions," Spray added.