TTC Union Wants Your Feedback On Fare Disputes
Posted April 15, 2010 2:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The leader of the TTC union claims the vast majority of attacks on his members are due to fare disputes and he wants the public to weigh in on the issue at a town hall meeting this weekend.
Bob Kinnear, President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, released a statement Thursday following the arrest of a TTC bus driver Wednesday who allegedly assaulted a rider during an argument over a fare.
“Every year there are hundreds of assaults against TTC frontline staff and 90 per cent of them are related to fare disputes. Our members have learned that following TTC management policy to collect the proper fare can be hazardous to their safety,” he said.
“Moreover, if every Operator strictly followed TTC policy about fare collection, the system would grind to a halt because of the procedures that must be followed in a fare dispute.”
This comes a day after TTC bus driver Hagos Bereket was charged with assault following an alleged confrontation with an 18-year-old over a student fare on Lawrence at Bayview.
Kinnear didn’t offer comment on that case because it’s currently before the courts, only that the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” must prevail.
Sunday’s TTC town hall will be the second in a series of three meetings organized by the union to address customer service concerns. The moderated meeting starts at 1pm at Stephen Leacock Collegiate at 2450 Birchmount Ave., north of Sheppard.
