Legislative Report - New House Surface Transportation Bill Would Finally Protect Bus Drivers from Brutal Attacks, Enhance Transit Safety Overall
Each year, there are more than 16,000 reported incidents of transit workers being attacked on the job. That’s more than 40 assaults each day. We have tried everything to stop the assaults, including cameras, enhanced criminal penalties, and even banning unruly passengers. None of it has worked.
During the past year, ATU has led a campaign on Capitol Hill in support of HR 6635, the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act, bipartisan legislation requiring all new transit bus workstations to be equipped with fully enclosed barriers.
A Win Years in the Making
In late May, we had a major breakthrough when the bill was included in the BUILD America 250 Act – Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th Act – the new five-year surface transportation bill approved by the U.S. House Transportation Committee.
“Our members are under constant attack,” said International President John Costa. “We are extremely grateful for Chairman Graves’ and Ranking Member Larsen’s inclusion of this critical language requiring fully enclosed bus barriers in the surface bill.”
More Than Just Barriers: Broader Safety Gains
The bill invests nearly $88 billion for transit over five years, an increase from the nearly $70 billion allocated in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The new bill also has language submitted by the ATU to beef up funding for security throughout transit systems, including operations funding for “transit support specialists.”
The House bill wisely kept intact the game-changing labor-management safety committees, which play a key role in the development and approval of Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASPs).
The bill also puts into law the Transit Workforce Center (TWC). Since 2021, TWC has provided direct technical assistance to transit agencies to advance workforce development to train and retain frontline transit workers.
One Glaring Exception
However, the bill’s section on autonomous buses fails to require a fallback safety driver in public transportation, an existential threat to our membership and to the safety of transit riders everywhere.
“While we feel good about the next few years in transit thanks to this bill, the BUILD America 250 Act unfortunately leaves our future very much in doubt,” said Costa. “The legislation recklessly green-lights autonomous buses, but notably does not include a requirement for a fallback safety driver in transit. This will put millions of American transit riders in harm’s way, barreling down the road with their lives in the hands of robots.”
“The ATU calls on the House to provide a lifeline and a safety net for U.S. transit riders by requiring a qualified human operator on board autonomous buses. After all, transit is powered by people,” said Costa.
The BUILD America 250 Act is likely to pass the U.S. House of Representatives this June. The U.S. Senate has yet to start deliberations on a new long-term transportation bill.