Reed & Hawley Roll Out Bipartisan Bill to Improve Bus Driver Safety

WASHINGTON, DC – Everyone deserves a safe workplace. But since 2023, transit operators have experienced a 36 percent increase in assaults from passengers, according to data from the National Transit Database. Buses are a public transportation lifeline for the communities they serve. But bus drivers are highly vulnerable because they are public-facing employees operating alone behind the wheel – making them the lone enforcer of transit regulations and fare collection while also keeping their eyes on the road and staying on schedule. The national uptick in aggression toward bus drivers is a problem for transit systems across the country. It has created a hostile environment for drivers and makes it more challenging for them to efficiently do their job. In an effort to deter crime, protect bus operators, and promote safe and efficient public transportation systems, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) today introduced the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act. This bipartisan bill would require all newly purchased fixed route buses that are 30 feet or longer and paid for with federal funds to be equipped with safety barriers that fully enclose a driver’s workstation, preventing unwanted entry while maintaining clear lines of sight for drivers. The legislation specifies that barriers must reach from the floor to the ceiling of the bus, preventing accidents involving persons, fluids, or objects. Similar to how cab drivers have a protective barrier, the bill would ensure public bus drivers would be shielded from physical assault by passengers. In addition to preventing physical assaults, driver protection barriers also serve as a psychological deterrent to verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats from potential aggressors. The cost of implementing driver protection barriers is minimal when compared to the benefits it provides: enhanced safety; less stress and distracted driving; and lowered absenteeism by drivers. Investing in this technology has demonstrated long-term benefits, including reducing the cost of lost work hours, medical bills, and lawsuits due to driver attacks. “Bus drivers do critical work under challenging circumstances and abuse against them should never be tolerated. These drivers are on the frontlines of helping people safely get where they need to go and we need to ensure their safety along with the safety and reliability of our transit system. One assault is one too many and this bipartisan bill prioritizes safety. Increasing security for bus operators is a commonsense solution that must be paired with other actions, like prosecuting driver assault cases to the fullest extent of the law and adding onboard cameras, de-escalation training, and increasing support for public transportation systems across the nation,” said Senator Reed . “Improving safety on our bus systems is essential to increasing ridership. This bipartisan bill will help prevent assaults, keep drivers safe, and help municipalities save money in the long run.” “All working Americans deserve a safe workplace. Transportation workers should never fear for their lives at work. The Bus Operator Safety and Security Act will combat the uptick in violence on America’s transportation workers,” said Senator Hawley . The Bus Operator Safety and Security Act would update Section 5329 of Title 49 of the United States Code to ensure that, beginning two years after enactment, the operator workstation of any new fixed route bus 30 feet or longer purchased with federal funds will be equipped with a barrier. These barriers are designed to: Fully enclose the workstation and prevent unwanted entry of persons, fluids, or objects; Reach from the bus floor to the ceiling; and Maintain clear lines of sight for the operator to the exterior of the bus. Companion legislation ( H.R.6635 ) has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and is led by Congressmen Shomari C. Figures (D-AL-02) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02). The Reed-Hawley bill is endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), ATU Local 618, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO (TTD), the SMART Transportation Division, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA). “Providing a safe environment for our employees to perform their jobs is a top priority for us at RIPTA. We applaud Senator Reed’s leadership and thank him for his continued support of public transportation,” said Christopher Durand, Chief Executive Officer of RIPTA. “Our RIPTA bus operators play an essential role in safely moving the people of the Providence area who rely on public transit every day. By introducing the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act , Senator Jack Reed shows he understands transit workers deserve to feel safe when they go to work. This legislation is straightforward. It gives operators a secure workstation and the basic protection any worker should have. We thank Senator Reed for his leadership,” said Walter Melillo, President/Business Agent of ATU Local 618-Providence, RI, representing RIPTA transit workers . “Every day, at least 42 transit workers are assaulted on U.S. transit systems. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear of a transit worker being shot, stabbed, spit on, or verbally abused. By investing in transit security measures, including an enclosed driver workstation, we are better protecting our riders, communities, and transit workers. Operator safety is about public safety. This piece of legislation is a proactive step toward building public transit systems where safety and service go hand in hand. We thank Senator Jack Reed for introducing the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act to make the workplace safer for our members and riders,” said John Costa, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest union representing transit workers in North America . “Everyday, transit workers fear for their lives just by showing up to their workplaces. This epidemic of violence not only makes workers unsafe, but jeopardizes the safety and efficiency of our transit network as a whole,” said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO . “We are grateful to see action from Congress that will alleviate some of the serious risks that our operators face.”