TTC To Add Safety Shields To Vehicles
Posted June 22, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Between a recent wildcat strike and the sudden departure of general manager Rick Ducharme, the Toronto Transit Commission has been mired in negative news lately.
That changed Thursday when the TTC announced a plan to add safety shields to its vehicles in order to protect drivers from angry and abusive passengers. The commission also intends to add onboard cameras in order to catch such offenders.
In announcing the changes at a monthly meeting, the TTC displayed an example of the protective door, which features a glass shield. They’ll be installed beginning in October in every bus and streetcar, at a cost of $1.5 million.
The hope is that every vehicle will be outfitted with the device by December 2007.
Four cameras will also be installed in the surface vehicles – some overhead and some below face level – as well as automated recordings and screens to announce stops. Those projects should be finished by mid-to-late 2007.
TTC heads hope the positive steps deflect attention from the city-paralyzing walkout that occurred weeks ago and Ducharme’s subsequent resignation. The one-two punch prompted some city councillors to call for the removal of TTC chair and fellow city councillor Howard Moscoe.
Transit commissioner Bill Saundercook tabled a motion of non-confidence in Moscoe Wednesday – it’ll be voted on at next month’s meeting.
Meanwhile, Moscoe still plans to recoup the $3 million he contends was lost the day of the strike from the transit union.
