Bus driver caught on video running red light no longer with TTC

A bus driver who was caught on video running a red light and nearly striking a pedestrian in Scarborough last week is no longer with the TTC, a spokesman confirms to CityNews.

A CityNews viewer submitted a dash-cam video of the incident, which shows the bus driving along Eglinton Avenue East, near Kennedy Road, on July 21 at 9:15 a.m. It was also later posted to YouTube.

In the video, the light at Eglinton and Ionview Road turns red, and another car stops — but the bus begins to accelerate. At the same time, a woman starts crossing the street directly into the path of the oncoming bus, which is forced to swerve to avoid hitting her.

The driver’s identity is not known. All that is known is that it was a woman and she was brought in to discuss the incident with management.

She is now “no longer employed by the TTC,” spokesman Brad Ross said. “I cannot get into any more details for the sake of privacy other than to say that that individual is no longer employed by us.”

In a statement released Monday, TTC union president Bob Kinnear says they will not contest the firing but will ask management to consider a lesser penalty and have her reassigned to a non-vehicle job.

“She made a serious mistake, no doubt about it,” says Kinnear, “and we will not challenge this particular decision to take her off the road. We are all grateful there was no injury to anyone.”

Kinnear said the driver is a single mother of two who, before this incident, had been dedicated to public service.

“We understand that the TTC management is under public pressure to show how tough they are, but I believe that most people who heard the entire story of what happened would agree with some lesser penalty, such as a suspension without pay, which would definitely hurt her family, and eventual reassignment to a non-driving job,” he said.

CityNews posted this story on Twitter and reaction came in quickly. Most of the reaction came from people who have seen similar incidents.