DETROIT – Bus drivers for the Detroit Department of Transportation fear for their safety after a string of recent attacks.
Transit police are investigating the reported incidents. One driver reported that she was taken out of the driver’s seat while the bus was in motion. The bus came to rest in a vacant lot and five people were sent to a hospital. Another bus driver reported being attacked by a man who had been accused of threatening drivers for two years.
One driver spoke to Local 4 and said she is concerned for her safety after hearing about the assaults.
In another case, a driver made a plea on Facebook and said that one passenger is so violent that she tries to avoid him. This past Wednesday he forced his way onto her bus and punched her in the face and head. The driver said she was hospitalized. DDOT officials confirm that case is under investigation.
In another incident Detroit public school students allegedly assaulted a driver, and there’s another case where a driver was assaulted in Highland Park.
This issue of drivers being assaulted came to light a few years ago when drivers refused to show up for work until they got more security. Transit Police Chief Ricky Brown said things have improved and there are more transit police officers on buses. However, this past week there has been an uptick of attacks on drivers.
“We investigate all of them,” Brown said.