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Confrontations between Saskatoon bus drivers and passengers declined in 2022, but a transit union says there’s still work to be done.
According to the City of Saskatoon, “negative interactions” between drivers and the public dropped by almost 50 per cent last year. In 2022, the city saw 59 reported incidents affecting drivers. In 2021 that number was 102, and in 2020 it was 130.
The most common issues were verbal altercations, intoxication, and aggressiveness, the city noted.
“While we take all negative interactions and assaults impacting operators very seriously, thankfully they remain very rare,” Mike Moellenbeck, operations manager for Saskatoon Transit, said in a statement.
Darcy Pederson, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 615, said the declining numbers were good to see, but assaults on bus drivers are still happening in the city, including incidents of spitting, hitting and kicking.
Not all assaults are reported, Pederson noted, and less-severe incidents like verbal abuse, intimidation and threats may also go unreported. Pederson said reporting should be mandatory for all incidents drivers experience.
In a previous interview, Pederson estimated the number of assaults on drivers in 2022 was “around 38.”
To prevent assaults from happening, Pederson said metal barriers with sliding Plexiglas have been installed to protect drivers from harm, but only 44 of 110 barriers have so far been installed.
Council approved the barriers in 2020, and the rest are expected to be installed this spring, the city stated.
“Naturally, you’re going to see a decrease in assaults when the operator is not, essentially, reachable,” Pederson said, noting that most of the assaults occur on buses where the barriers aren’t present.
Pederson said negative interactions started rising in 2019, and increased significantly in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since the pandemic, it seems like tensions are higher, tempers are shorter, and everybody seems to be on edge,” Pederson explained.
While incidents involving drivers are declining, the city reported that confrontations between passengers and other members of the public have been on the rise. In 2022, there were 432 such confrontations reported, a significant increase from 302 in 2021 and 172 in 2020. Most of those confrontations were incidents of intoxication or verbal abuse.
“It’s startling to see how high the number is,” Pederson said.
Pederson said there are some underlying issues with these alterations that need to be addressed, such as mental health and addiction issues.
“Saskatoon Transit, they really need some dedicated support workers – not necessity fare enforcers or security – just some presence out there on the buses and in the terminals,” Pederson said.
There is also a need for more mental health awareness and de-escalation training for drivers, Pederson added, as well as better support for those who have experienced assaults or violence.
“We are all aware of greater mental health concerns and social distress in communities nation-wide; Saskatoon is no different,” Moellenbeck said in the city’s statement.
“Saskatoon Transit will always support its Operators and riders and look at ways to enhance training and safety protocols to create a more positive workplace and ride experience,” he stated.
