As many as 37 vehicles in the Blue Bus fleet in West Vancouver will be fitted with protective shields this spring to protect drivers from assaults.
The shields, a glass partition around the operator’s seat, has been under review for several years.
Although the number of assaults has been higher in other municipalities, there have been assaults on Blue Bus operators as well, according to the District of West Vancouver.
WorkSafeBC undertook a safety review with Coast Mountain Bus Company and recommended operator safety shields as a result.
Both Blue Bus and Coast Mountain Bus Company operate as part of the TransLink system. TransLink is implementing the recommendation of WorkSafeBC and installing the shields across both fleets.
Driver safety shields also contribute to the safety of passengers because drivers who are assaulted while driving could potentially lose control of the vehicle.
The shields are designed in such a way that they allow the operator to open up the partition’s top half to talk to transit users, district said.
Buses from the year 2012 on will have the shields installed as new ones come fitted with shields.
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