OC Transpo's largest union is accusing management of being unfairly severe in penalizing bus drivers for speeding.

"We've had grievances on the penalties because we find the punishment a little harsh and heavy handed," Clint Crabtree, president of ATU Local 279, said Tuesday.

According to Crabtree, operators are being suspended without pay if they're caught going at least 10 km/h over the limit. A dozen or more drivers have been suspended for speeding, he said.

The penalty -- which could mean about $200 per day for drivers -- is out of whack with regular speeding offences under the law, Crabtree said.

The risk of being suspended is compelling drivers to take their eyes off the road to check their speedometers, Crabtree said.

Troy Charter, Transpo's assistant GM of operations, said management expects all drivers to follow the rules of the road and practise safe driving.

"OC Transpo has strict protocols and procedures in place which are geared to ensure this level of safety and bus operators receive extensive training regarding these obligations," Charter said via e-mail.

Charter said in "rare occasions" Transpo will undertake an internal investigation.

"Depending on the outcome of the investigation, additional measures may be taken which could include re-training, warnings, suspensions and/or other formal disciplinary action," Charter said.

Crabtree said operators understand the public safety importance of driving the speed limit, but he questions why suspensions are necessary, especially for drivers who otherwise have no disciplinary history.

"I guess they want to get the message across that, 'We're not going to allow you to speed,'" Crabtree said. "But they came down with discipline that was not progressive discipline."

The union has pursued arbitration over the issue, he said.

Transpo has frequently cited "progressive discipline" as the manner by which it punishes employees.

The transit company, however, has been especially sensitive about speeding buses after the deadly September 2013 crash between a double-decker bus and Via Rail train on the Transitway in Barrhaven.

Speeding buses came up in the Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the crash.

Crabtree said Transpo ramped up speed enforcement a few months after the crash. Transpo announced publicly in September 2014 it was starting daily speed enforcement on the Transitway.

A bylaw, not the Highway Traffic Act, governs the Transitway, so any speeding violations are handled through internal discipline, rather than a record placed on drivers' licences.

Crabtree said speeding stems from a tight bus schedule, which is something the TSB suggested to the city during the crash investigation.

"Do the routes have enough time on them? No. I'm not saying all of them, but there are problematic routes out there that operators don't have the time," Crabtree said.

Crabtree said he doesn't expect the speeding penalties will be an issue in the next round of collective bargaining with Transpo. The contract expires at the end of March.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

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CLARIFICATION: The city says its statement to the Sun on Tuesday implied that Transpo rarely investigates speeding, instead of noting speeding is a "rare issue." According to the city, "Our operators take pride in their work and in providing a safe and reliable service, but when they are identified as exceeding the speed limit or when we receive such a complaint, we always undertake an internal investigation."