Washington, DC – Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the bipartisan Bus Operator Safety and Security Act, the companion bill to H.R. 6635, introduced in December by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Members Shomari C. Figures (D-AL-02) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02).
The bill would require the installation of protective barriers on new federally-funded buses, an important step in reducing ongoing violent incidents targeting the transit workforce.
Labor unions have consisently advocated for legislation to prevent assaults on bus operators. The bill is supported by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD), the International Association of Machinists (IAM), and the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD).
According to the National Transit Database, there are more than 40 assaults per day on transit workers nationwide. These range from shootings and stabbings to bodily fluids being hurled at operators. There are over 16,000 assaults per year. Protective barriers would fully enclose bus operators’ work stations from floor to ceiling and shield drivers from perpetrators or objects.
“Every day, at least 42 transit workers are assaulted on U.S. transit systems. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear of a transit worker being shot, stabbed, spit on, or verbally abused. By investing in transit security measures, including an enclosed driver workstation, we are better protecting our riders, communities, and transit workers. Operator safety is about public safety. This piece of legislation is a proactive step toward building public transit systems where safety and service go hand in hand. We thank Senator Jack Reed for introducing the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act to make the workplace safer for our members and riders,” said John Costa, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest union representing transit workers in North America.”
“Everyday, transit workers fear for their lives just by showing up to their workplaces. This epidemic of violence not only makes workers unsafe, but jeopardizes the safety and efficiency of our transit network as a whole,” said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO. “We are grateful to see action from Congress that will alleviate some of the serious risks that our operators face.”
“Transit agency bosses in far too many cities have ignored assaults on workers for far too many years. It’s long past time that the federal government step in and require transit systems to use safe equipment that protects workers on on the job – including barriers when necessary, ” said John Samuelsen, International Presi
