Bus drivers facing ‘epidemic of…assaults,’ demand safety measures after Metro hijacking

After a man hijacked a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles last week, the union representing bus drivers is demanding extra safety precautions.

“We are facing a national epidemic of bus and transit assaults, and the only way we can address it is through immediate action by transportation agencies on these common-sense measures insisted upon by SMART-TD and the Biden/Harris administration,” said Jeremy Ferguson, president of SMART-TD .

The hijacking occurred around 11:40 p.m. on March 20. A man pulled what appeared to be a gun on a Metro bus driver, causing the bus to crash into two parked cars and the side of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The driver and a passenger in one of the cars were injured.

The suspect was taken into custody, and police recovered a BB gun.

SMART-TD released a list of demands to safeguard drivers from future incidents, including bulletproof glass enclosures, armed security officers, and silent alarms allowing drivers to contact the police.

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The union said bus drivers in Philadelphia and New York City have also faced violence recently.

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