LONDON, ONT. -- The London Transit Commission (LTC) has approved barriers for operators on all of its buses following an emergency meeting Friday afternoon.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commission approved the plexiglass protection on its fleet, at a cost of $1.1 million.
“Up till now, it’s been a matter of finding the money to do it. And quite frankly with the COVID crisis, it’s brought a sense of urgency to the issues of driver safety," says Phil Squire, the LTC chairperson.
“We are doing it within our present budget, so we’re not going to have to go outside and ask for money from somewhere else."
Andre Fournier, president of the local chapter of the Amalgamated Transit Union, has been lobbying for the change for several years.
“It changes everything - 100 per cent. You’ve got a metal door that comes up half way, a little higher, and glass that goes across and moved in three positions,” he says.
In 2018, the LTC began a one-year pilot program to assess the barriers. At the time, it said they provided additional safety measures for operators.
This past January, both management and union health and safety members agreed the partitions were needed for all drivers.
Since the pilot project, three buses were equipped with a split barrier, providing the operator with partial or full protection from riders.
The pilot was well received by most operators, says LTC General Manager Kelly Paleczny.
In a survey, 78 per cent of respondents in the operator group and 90 per cent in the maintenance group indicated their overall impression of the barrier was either positive or neutral.
It's expected to take eight to 10 weeks to have the barriers delivered, but they can be installed locally within a few days after receipt.
The contract was awarded to New Flyer Industries, the official supplier of the barriers that were tested and recommended during the pilot program.
- With files from Kathy Rumleski, CTV London
