A "Not On Our Bus" Program Aims to Increase Rider Safety
“Not On Our Bus” Program Aims to Increase Rider Safety
Tacoma, Washington
August 30, 2010
Officials from the Pierce Transit Police, Tacoma Police Department, and local public schools are spearheading a zero-tolerance enforcement operation of unlawful and disruptive conduct on bus routes, at transit centers, and at bus stops near high schools. During “Not On Our Bus” uniformed and undercover Pierce Transit Police and Tacoma Police, as well as Pierce Transit security personnel, will increase their presence on buses and at bus stops and transit hubs, part of an enhanced effort to enforce the State of Washington and the City of Tacoma’s Unlawful Transit Conduct Codes. Violators may be held immediately accountable by exclusion from Pierce Transit services for 90 days. A similar initiative in fall 2009 resulted in 750 encounters between police and students, leading to 68 ninety-day exclusions from Pierce Transit services for disorderly behavior or criminal activity.
Tacoma’s Unlawful Transit Conduct Code is detailed here:
Source
Tacoma Daily Index.
How are we doing?
FTA continues to conduct voluntary onsite reviews at transit bus agencies and State DOT Orientation Seminars. The reviews provide an opportunity for FTA’s Bus Team to meet with managers and employees from bus systems and review their safety, security and emergency preparedness programs and identify strengths and areas for improvement. The voluntary reviews have been well-received and FTA has obtained numerous effective practices that it shares in the Resource Library.
State DOT Seminars provide an excellent opportunity for transit bus systems in the participating state to attend a 1-2 day seminar that orients them to FTA’s Bus Safety and Security Program. FTA’s team members walk participants through the “Roadmap to Excellence” and invites discussion regarding the principles and practical application of its elements. Additionally, each participant is able to view a demonstration of FTA’s Bus Safety and Security Website to help them better understand how to use this valuable tool.
Korean Bus Explosion Unnerves Citizens
By Bae Ji-sook
The explosion of the compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered public transit bus on a street in Seoul Monday is seeing mounting anxiety among commuters as they express concerns over safety. The city government vowed to conduct safety checkups on all 7,234 CNG buses in operation by the end of the month and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy advised CNG bus drivers to lower the gas pressure by 10 percent when recharging.
Police said Monday’s explosion, which injured 17 passengers including one female who had her feet severed, may have been caused by a problem with the gas tank. They are still looking into the case to determine the exact cause of the incident.
“According to witnesses, the explosion took place when the bus driver applied the brakes at a zebra crossing and the vehicle had come to an abrupt stop. It is highly likely that the gas tank, manufactured in 2000 and tagged with an expiration date for 2015, had several flaws,” an
officer at the Seongbuk Police Station said after looking into the problematic bus with gas experts.
The explosion was powerful enough to break the windows of nearby buildings but no sparks or flames were detected at the scene, the officer said.
“It could have been a problem with the container or the pipe. The gas could have leaked and under the right conditions exploded,” said a researcher at the Korea Gas Safety Corporation.
The authorities are striving to prevent any further accidents on the remaining 7,233 buses, which make up 95.8 percent of the buses operating in Seoul. The administration is planning to buy 300 more of the buses by the end of the year.
There have been eight CNG vehicle-related accidents between 2005 and 2008 nationwide. But none of them involved a vehicle that was
currently in operation.
City officials are also paying extra attention to 42 recharging stations in the city because most of the accidents have taken place while they were
parked for recharging. “During this hot weather, many things could happen,” one official said.
Citizens have expressed anxiety over the issue since buses are one of the main means of transportation. They have also urged the
government to set up better safety measures.