Union Victory: Bus Operator Cockpits On the Way.
The ongoing campaign to protect Bus Operators from assaults has scored a significant victory, Local 100 President Richard Davis said Monday.
The MTA has installed cockpits on two buses for testing with plans to then conduct a full-fleet rollout.
The retrofitting of buses is expected to start in the spring, according to transit officials. The Authority also plans on buying new buses with the safety upgrade.
Local 100 President Richard Davis checked out one of the floor-to-ceiling cockpits today in Lower Manhattan.
“The cockpits will really help,” Davis said. “That’s why we fought for years to get them. We pushed on both the local and federal levels. This is a positive development, but make no mistake, this is only happening because our union rallied and demanded the MTA provide cockpits. It wouldn’t be happening without union action.”
Bus Operator cockpits – inspired by the enclosures that protect airline pilots – will replace partitions. Unhinged riders have been able to reach around partitions to strike or throw objects at Bus Operators.