Mayor Brian Bowman’s executive policy committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to install safety shields on Winnipeg buses within one year, using funds from the 2019 capital budget.
This comes after the public works committee voted three to one earlier this month to use transit surplus money to accelerate the process from three years to 18 months.
Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) voted against this motion, while Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said it’s embarrassing that it’s taken this long to get these shields in place.
Last week, Bowman had said he is still reviewing this recommendation and will have more to say when the committee votes on it.
“There’s a number of competing demands within transit. What I have indicated is I’d like to see that surplus used within transit. I don’t want to see it go to balance the overall operating budget,” Bowman said.
The cost to install these safety shields on all 630 Winnipeg Transit buses comes in at $3.15 million, according to a report from transit.
The safety of transit drivers came to the forefront following the death of Irvine Fraser, a driver killed while on the job in February 2017. The trial for the man accused of his murder is now underway ( I will link).
The plan moves to city council on Jan. 31, where they’ll vote to push the plan to the 2019 budget process set to be finalized in March.
Bowman said the transit surplus is projected and will be used if the plan is fully approved. He said there are no guarantees that the shields will be in place by January 2020.
- With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele and Jason Gaidola
