DRIVER'S SAFETY * USA - Metro bus drivers don't want Plexiglas barriers
Partitions installed after driver was beaten unconscious
Seattle,WASH,USA -SEATTLEPI, by SCOTT GUTIERREZ -August 24, 2010: -- King County Metro Transit's experiment with enclosing drivers behind Plexiglas shields as a safety measure is coming to end, a union official said... After a bus driver was beaten and knocked unconscious behind the wheel earlier this year, Metro installed security partitions in seven buses as a pilot project. Many drivers weren't comfortable with them, primarily because they interfere with the ability to interact with passengers, said Neal Safrin, executive board officer on Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 587, during a recent meeting with reporters... Metro spokeswoman Rochelle Ogershok said, the agency still is reviewing feedback from drivers, taken through surveys and outreach, but is close to a final decision... One concern is that barriers send a message that buses are unsafe. And some think they interfere with the drivers' role to engage customers, answer questions and assist with transfer slips... Other complaints are that partitions cause glare and hinder visibility, and aren't strong enough to stop a bullet or a determined assailant. The shields don't entirely enclose the driver's seat... Metro spent between $750 and $1,000 to fit the buses with shields, said Ogershok, Metro's spokeswoman... Several transit agencies in the U.S. and Canada have experimented with partitions. Buses in New York City, and similar devices have been tried out in Washington, D.C. and Toronto...(Photo: King County Metro plans to test Plexiglas shields as a way to protect bus drivers. This photo was provided by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which tried a pilot project in 2008)Labels: drivers security
posted by Unknown @ 12:59 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home