Bus inspector stations are now operating at a pair of downtown safety hot spots in the wake of violent attacks on Winnipeg Transit drivers.

One is located in front of the Bay at Portage Avenue at Vaughan Street, and another at Graham Avenue at Fort Street, both of which have lots of bus traffic. Earlier this year, Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth said the nearby Portage Place stop gets so many police calls that something needed to be done.

The city paid to build the stations, which opened last week.

Each protective pod will be staffed by point duty inspectors in charge of ensuring the security of bus staff and riders, enforcing bylaws and providing information to inquisitive passengers. Inspectors are scheduled to monitor the areas during the busiest hours, from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m.

In a release, the city described inspectors as "highly trained" former drivers who are "uniquely positioned to be a resource for both operators and passengers."

"They could be dealing with any number of types of incidents that could occur on a bus or in a shelter in the downtown area," Randy Tonnellier, manager of operations for Winnipeg Transit.

A point duty inspector works inside one of two new Winnipeg Transit Inspector Stations in the city. (Dana Hatherly/CBC)

The pods are small, sturdy structures, not much larger than a couple of portable toilets standing side-by-side.

They have a single door for entry and sliding windows with shutters, and are equipped with heat and air conditioning to withstand all weather conditions.

The inspector shelters provide a full view up and down the street, as well as a place for inspectors to do their work and escape the elements, but are not meant to provide "immediate protection" for them. Tonnellier said there are other safety measures in place to protect inspectors.

"It's really helpful for our bus operator workforce to know that when they go past a certain location that there's going to be somebody there to help them," Tonnellier said, adding that drivers should feel "a little more comforted" by the presence of stationed inspectors.

The pods are located at bus stops less than a kilometre apart along popular intersections with Tim Hortons.

One of two new Winnipeg Transit Inspector Stations in the city sits at the bus stop in front of the Bay downtown at Portage Avenue at Vaughan Street. (Dana Hatherly/CBC)

A Winnipeg Transit spokesperson said the department decided to implement the stations in response to recommendations listed in a transit safety report, following a rash of assaults on workers.

That includes the killing of Irvine Fraser, a 58-year-old bus driver who was slain in a vicious altercation with a 22-year-old passenger who stabbed him in 2017, and subsequent calls from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.

At the time, CBC reported it was believed to be the first time a city bus operator was killed at work in Manitoba.

This past summer, Howard Wavey was banned from riding city buses after his first conviction of assault for punching a transit supervisor. Wavey wound up with a jail sentence late last month after pleading guilty to a second assault on a bus driver.

Inspectors hit the ground

The city's transit department did not have data on the number of complaints or assaults reported against inspectors since the position began, after the budget for it was approved, in January.

After the four point duty inspectors initially hit the ground, either on foot or in vehicles, the city put out a request for proposal for the design and delivery of point patrol stations.

In July, the contract was granted to the Canada Kiosk Corporation for the amount of $65,040.

The RFP indicates approximately three units are covered by the agreement.

So far, the city has two kiosks.

Transit officials said the public can expect a third mobile patrol unit to be established in the future.