'More needs to be done': Transit union calls to up safety measures after driver assault

A Winnipeg Transit operator is recovering after being attacked by a passenger over the weekend.

The 39-year-old driver was assaulted on Saturday afternoon after telling a passenger he couldn’t take him to a street that wasn’t on his route.

“He seems to be okay given what he just went through,” Chris Scott, president of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 5105, told CTV News on Monday. “This was a prolonged attack. This was an assailant attempting to get at the bus operator.”

According to the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS), a 29-year-old man demanded to be dropped off at a stop that wasn’t on the designated route. The driver told him the request wasn’t feasible.

“All this assailant was told is ‘I don’t drive past your destination. When we get downtown, you can take this bus or this bus, and it will get you there,’” Scott said. “And [the suspect] found that unacceptable.”

Police said the man started attacking the driver, and in a release Sunday, noted the suspect used a grocery bag and its contents as a weapon.

Police said the driver was able to stop the bus, activate the emergency communications system and open the doors to allow other passengers to exit. Scott said the system activates ‘CALL 9-1-1’ signs on the exterior of the bus – which he said alerted a passing WPS patrol car.

“In this incident, it made the difference. I commend the operator. He was relatively new, and doesn’t have a lot of time on the job, but still had the wherewithal,” Scott said.

According to police, the attack continued until officers stepped in. The suspect is facing charges of assault with a weapon, assault, and uttering threats. He was taken into custody.

The driver suffered upper-body injuries. Scott expects he’ll be off the job for the next while.

“We’ve started to receive calls from my members to ask, ‘what can I do? What can I do to protect myself? What am I allowed to do under policy, under law?’” Scott explained. “They are worried. You don’t even have to be assaulted now, and you have a fear of coming to the workplace.”

He said the incident highlights the need for enhanced safety and security on city busses to protect transit employees and the public.

“More needs to be done, whether it’s an improved shield, the community safety team, or other things. We need to start thinking outside the box.”

Winnipeg Transit’s much-anticipated community safety team is in the midst of a six-week training program that started on Jan. 15.

Two supervisors and 21 community safety officers are being trained in conflict resolution and nonviolent crisis intervention. As sworn peace officers, they will have the authority to detain people and enforce laws.

“It can’t get deployed fast enough but with that, we need to make sure that they’re properly trained, properly equipped and have everything that they need to make transit system safer for everybody involved.”

- With files from CTV’s Kayla Rosen