Bus operators seek enhanced safety measures for bus drivers
In the heart of Westphalia-South, the Transportation Authority has taken steps to ensure the safety of its bus drivers, but questions remain unanswered about their approach.
The Authority is part of the statewide network #safeonDuty, and has created a guideline in six languages for bus drivers. However, they have not discussed how this network will improve bus driver safety, nor have they specified what strategies they employ to prevent or deter minor assaults or insults on buses.
The Authority has equipped buses with emergency buttons that send a GPS signal to the police, but they have not specified how these buttons are intended to address minor assaults or insults. The Authority also provides regular training sessions for bus drivers, but they have not provided details on how these sessions address minor incidents.
According to operations manager Gerhard Bettermann, the statewide network #safeonDuty has "many advantages," but he did not elaborate on what these advantages are.
The Authority does not provide data on the frequency or nature of minor assaults or insults on buses. However, it is known that at least two to three incidents occur daily, with serious incidents, like stabbing attacks, being rare. The most recent serious incident was a stabbing attack during the Siegen city festival last year.
Transportation authorities across the globe are implementing additional measures beyond emergency buttons and regular training sessions to protect bus drivers from violence. These measures include real-time video surveillance and GPS tracking, preventative behaviour management, de-escalation training programs, and district-wide safety planning. These measures collectively enhance the physical and psychological safety of bus drivers by emphasizing early detection, active monitoring, communication, and strategic intervention methods.
Despite these global efforts, the Westphalia-South Transportation Authority has not yet implemented specific measures to address the occurrence of minor assaults or insults on buses. The Authority also does not mention any experiences shared from other regions within the statewide network #safeonDuty.
As concerns about bus driver safety continue to rise, the public awaits further details from the Westphalia-South Transportation Authority on their approach to ensuring the safety of its bus drivers.
- The Westphalia-South Transportation Authority, while equipped with emergency buttons and conducting regular training sessions, seems to be lacking in implementing comprehensive measures such as real-time video surveillance, GPS tracking, de-escalation training programs, and district-wide safety planning, as seen in other transportation industries globally.
- The Westphalia-South Transportation Authority, unlike other transportation authorities worldwide, has yet to detail their strategies for preventing or deterring minor assaults or insults on buses, and has not availed comprehensive measures like data collection or experiences shared from other regions within the statewide network #safeonDuty.
