More safety measures coming to Thunder Bay Transit buses this year, manager says

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A caller study shows the wide fig of safety-related incidents connected Thunder Bay Transit buses person dropped implicit the past 3 years, but concerns remain, city's transit manager says.

The report, which is being presented to metropolis assembly for accusation connected Monday, shows there were a full of 275 safety-related incidents and/or antagonistic interactions, reported by transit operators successful 2022.

That dropped to 146 successful 2023, and 128 successful 2024. However the study notes, the numbers pertain to incidents that were reported by operators, and much whitethorn person gone unreported.

"The information does amusement that portion there's been advancement made connected reducing immoderate antagonistic interactions — such arsenic things similar fare disputes — things similar acts of aggression, assaults, verbal altercations, antagonistic interactions that acceptable into those categories stay apical of caput arsenic ongoing concerns," said Brad Loroff, metropolis transit manager. "So we privation to usage Monday nighttime arsenic an accidental to conscionable speech astir immoderate of the cardinal initiatives that we'll beryllium focusing connected passim 2025, to question immoderate betterment successful those areas."

The study shows that successful 2022, operators reported:

• 40 acts of aggression;
• 16 assaults;
• 47 fare disputes;
• 46 incidents of harassment;
• 80 involving intoxication, and
• 46 verbal altercations.

Meanwhile, successful 2023, operators reported:

• 26 acts of aggression;
• nine assaults;
• 28 fare disputes;
• seven incidents involving harassment;
• 30 incidents involving intoxication, and 
• 46 verbal altercations.

In 2024, acts of aggression roseate to 38, portion the fig of assaults returned to 2022 levels, with 16 reported.

There were lone 10 fare disputes, 2 incidents of harassment, and 18 involving intoxication reported past year.

The fig of verbal altercations dropped somewhat successful 2024, to 44.

One origin successful the drop, Loroff said, is de-escalation grooming provided to each transit unit successful 2024.

"The intent of that grooming is to equip frontline unit with the skill set and immoderate of the tools they tin usage to assistance amended negociate rider nationalist interactions that person the imaginable to go contentious," helium said.

And 2025 volition spot much steps taken to summation information connected metropolis transit buses, Loroff said, including much grooming for frontline staff.

"We've made immoderate modifications to our operations section, wherever we'll beryllium capable to supply amended and more-enhanced dispatching for buses, arsenic good arsenic immoderate on-street supervision," helium said. "We're providing much dedicated enactment successful those areas."

New relation information shields are besides coming to metropolis buses, helium said; currently, buses are equipped with bladed plastic shields, which were installed to task drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"They're being replaced with permanent, engineered information safety barriers to supply immoderate sum and extortion astir the operator's compartment," Loroff said.

The study states the shields person been ordered, and are expected to beryllium installed by the extremity of 2025.

Fred Caputo, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 966, which represents transit unit successful Thunder Bay, said the national is blessed to spot the caller information measures being enactment successful place.

In an email to CBC News, Caputo noted that a caller fare container absorption strategy being introduced connected metropolis buses volition besides help, arsenic it volition "reduce fare evasion and relation rider interaction."

"As ever we volition proceed to enactment with transit absorption to marque transit harmless for each users," Caputo stated.

Transit pat cards present available

Thunder Bay Transit besides announced Wednesday the caller physics astute cards, which tin beryllium utilized to wage for autobus fare, are present available.

The reloadable card, called Lift Pass, can beryllium loaded with time passes, 10-ride multipasses, oregon monthly passes, and passengers tin pat the cards connected the farebox to wage for their ride.

However, the cards can't beryllium utilized yet, arsenic the metropolis is launching the caller strategy aboriginal this month.

Anyone who wants to get their Lift Pass cards aboriginal tin bash truthful astatine the Thunder Bay Transit Office astatine 870 Fort William Road (the metropolis says it volition denote much locations wherever the cards tin beryllium purchased successful the coming weeks).

While it volition usually outgo $5 to acquisition a caller reloadable Lift Pass card, the metropolis is waiving that interest until April 30 to promote passengers to get the cards early.

Cash, insubstantial tickets, and accepted monthly passes tin inactive beryllium utilized to wage for autobus fare, the metropolis says.

For much information, visit the city's Lift Pass website.