New plexiglass partitions will protect Bus Operators from out-of-control passengers. (Photo courtesy of New York City Transit)
When a New York City Transit bus driver was murdered by an irate passenger in Dec. 2008, the MTA promised a bus partition pilot program aimed at keeping drivers safer. Late last week, that pilot program debuted in Bus 5052 along the B46, the same route that played host to Edwin Thomas’ murder.
The partition is a step up in the world of bus driver safety but it is not without its problems. The divider is made of a piece of plexiglass one inch thick and with non-glare coating, and it nearly isolates the driver from his riders. It does not, however, fully enclose the driver. There is an opening at the top and side so that the driver can access the fare box.
“It’s difficult to come up with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to this simply because our Bus Operators aren’t one size,” Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges said. “Each has to position the wheel, seat, mirrors to their preference, and the same is true for something like a partition. They all have to be comfortable with the environment the partition creates as they drive. Our overriding goal here is to provide both a safe and comfortable environment for our Bus Operators.”
Right now, Transit plans to order 100 partitions for one model of the RTS buses similar to those in use along the B46, and according to the Daily News, that is so far the only model approved by the union. Transit and the TWU are working to develop partitions for other bus models as well.
It’s tough to speak out against bus partitions. After all, bus operators in 2008 reported over 235 assaults, and Thomas’ murder, the first of a bus driver since 1981, certainly highlighted the extremes of driver safety. Because cops do not often patrol buses, drivers are often left to fend for themselves. As long as the operators can still assist disabled riders and can still interact with passengers when they have to, Transit and the union should do all they can to ensure driver safety.
3 comments
More cost effective to pay for etiquette classes for all the bitter and rude drivers… or muzzles. Driving in the city IS stressful, I know, but there are much worse jobs to be had. And that pay MUCH less.
The partitions are to protect the drivers from the passengers, not vice versa. Edwin Thomas was killed by a passenger who didn’t pay his fare and then asked for a transfer.
[…] to death by a passenger who refused to pay his fare. It took over a year for the MTA to being a driver partition pilot program, and the unions have been pushing the MTA to improve bus driver safety in the interim. Today, we […]