Take Action Now to Secure Safe Buses

From November 27 to December 1, 2017, Local ATU Presidents and representatives from across Canada met in Ottawa as part of Days of Action on Parliament Hill.

During visits, Sisters and Brothers met with Members of the Federal Government and presented information on the various safety concerns regarding the design of the Nova Bus.  Issues raised included improvements needed to ensure safe and proper ergonomic work stations for bus operators as well as issues with the blind spots that have caused past critical injuries and fatalities to the public.

The Honorable Member of Parliament Judy A. Sgro took the opportunity to reach out to Councillor Colle, Mayor John Tory, and Minster Del Duca on behalf of the Amalgamated Transit Union to address Transit operators concerns.

Founded in 1892, the Amalgamated Transit Union has been representing transit workers for the past 125 years. Currently, the ATU represents over 190,000 transit workers in North America with over 32,000 workers from coast to coast here in Canada. The Amalgamated Transit Union has initiated a Petition to the House of Commons to address Transit Operators safety concerns.

It is crucial that we gain support from the government to address these serious safety issues. Transit Operators are entitled to work in a safe environment.

Take action now to secure safe buses by signing Petition E-1437 (Public Transit) before May 9th:

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-1437

Please see the details of the Petition E-1437 (Public Transit) below:

  • Transit buses used in North America are decades behind global design and safety standards, endangering the health, safety, and lives of operators, riders, and pedestrians;
  • Most transit buses on the road in North America have unsafe window pillar designs and hazardously-placed mirrors, which create blind spots that have resulted in collisions in which pedestrians and others have been killed or injured;
  • Assaults on operators often escalate to serious injury or death due to poorly-secured or unsecured workstations;
  • Poor bus suspension and seating lead to back pain and debilitating conditions for operators as well as compromise passenger comfort; and
  • Transit worker is already classified as the least healthy job due to primitive controls including steering, pedals and other controls cause extreme rates of occupational injury and disability.

We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to require that transit agencies and manufacturers make our buses safe for operators and passengers by adopting well-tested solutions, including:

  1. Protective barriers that can be quickly raised or lowered by an operator, that do not obscure the operator’s view, and that do not block ventilation from the driver’s workstation;
  2. Unobstructed views for bus operators that include open windshields, minimal A-pillars, and mirrors that don’t obscure an operator’s vision;
  3. Workstations that include ergonomic seating, intelligent steering, adjustable pedals, and a dashboard and steering wheel that both telescope and tilt; and
  4. Workstations that are free of pests.