Article content continued

Crabtree said the union dealt with more than 100 cases of drivers reporting they had been assaulted in 2017, a sharp increase from previous years. The union reported 87 assault complaints in 2016 and 85 complaints in 2015.

Crabtree called the threat of assault “one of the worst parts of the job.”

The pilot program will retrofit a number of buses with the shields beginning in the fall.

The city’s transit commission said in a recent report it conducted a “preliminary review” of the barriers more than 10 years ago, “and has since continued monitoring developments in the transit industry relating to barriers.”

“This is now an opportune time to undertake a detailed review of the operational impacts and an assessment of the potential benefits of these devices. We are currently reviewing available options from our existing manufacturers and requirements for installation to assess the effectiveness in enhancing the overall safety of our bus operators and customers.”

OC Transpo staff overseeing the test program will report back with a recommendation to the transit commission.

Crabtree said the barriers will not be specific to any particular route, and during the testing phase, buses equipped with the barriers will be divided equally among the city’s four major bus garages.

“There will be an equal amount at every garage so every operator in the fleet has the opportunity to participate in the program and to play a role in providing feedback,” Crabtree said.

He said the union and employer have not yet discussed the possibility, or the associated costs of expanding the program to the entire fleet.

“I am very pleased that OC Transpo has taken the initiative,” Crabtree said.

ahelmer@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/helmera