Buses to be fitted with protective shields by end of August
Shields to protect against assault, abusive behaviour and pandemic concerns
After being considered for more than a decade, OC Transpo will finally install barriers on much of its fleet of buses to help protect drivers from abuse and violent behaviour by passengers and, most recently, the pandemic.
The city announced last October that it's set to install barriers on its buses to protect drivers after a 2018 study and 2019 pilot project that had them installed in 12 buses.
"It's been a long time coming. We've been pushing for these barriers … for bus operators for quite some time. [We're] very happy that they're coming," said Clint Crabtree, president of Amalgamated Transit Union local 279.
The shields were considered after a number of assaults against drivers where they were sucker-punched, spat on, and burned by hot drinks.
"Through the pilot project, we got feedback from the members that they felt more secure being behind one of these plastic barriers or shields," he said. "Nobody deserves to be assaulted."
Minimal COVID-19 protection, says union
While the barriers are meant to provide protection against assaults, OC Transpo general manager John Manconi said they can also provide protection from viruses, such as COVID-19.
"[It] will provide extra health and safety protection for both operators and customers," he wrote in a memo to council Monday.
Crabtree acknowledged the barriers could provide some protection against COVID-19, but it's likely minimal.
"I don't necessarily believe that the shield or barrier will protect someone from the virus because the virus is airborne, but it's an added safety measure for the bus operators."
Last year, OC Transpo installed a sheet of clear plastic, similar to a shower curtain, on buses to provide a barrier between drivers and passengers for that reason.
But bus drivers and the local union have been calling for increased protections, especially after a surge in COVID-19 cases among drivers since the beginning of April. At least 15 have tested positive for COVID-19 in April alone.
Crabtree believes the best protection against the virus is for operators to be vaccinated.
"That would be the ultimate protection for the members of my local and transit employees to receive immediately."
756 buses to get shields
The Plexiglas shields will be installed on 756 of the fleet's 851 buses by the end of August, according to a memo sent Monday to city councillors.
The remaining buses either already have a permanent shield as part of the pilot project or are at the end of their life and will be phased out within the next year.
"Moving forward, any new buses entering the fleet will have the barriers installed," wrote Manconi.
Last October, the estimated cost to outfit 746 buses was $6 million. The City of Ottawa has not said whether that estimate still stands.
With files from CBC's Hance Colburne
