John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, said attacks on bus drivers is “the dirty secret of public transit in America.” He said that in New York City and Philadelphia combined there are more than 20 assaults a week against operators.
Philadelphia's public transit system is moving forward with plans to test-run bullet-resistant glass enclosures for drivers on city buses, joining other cities hoping to provide more protection for drivers who often face violence and harassment from passengers.
Safety concerns were raised again last year following a spate of shootings on the transit system, including one in which eight high school students waiting to board a SEPTA bus after class were wounded by gunshots from suspects who jumped from a car and opened fire.
They are among safety improvements included in a new contract the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the nation's sixth-largest mass transit system, reached in November with its biggest workers union.
He said bus operators and transit union officials from Houston, Miami and other major cities attended the demonstration.
