The manager vice-president of Winnipeg’s transit union is elevating considerations over a rise in violent incidents on buses after an operator allegedly had a gun pointed at him early Friday morning in entrance of police headquarters.
In accordance with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Native 1505’s Derek Hanley, round 12:30 a.m., a bus driver picked up a gaggle of passengers alongside his route in direction of Graham Avenue within the metropolis’s downtown core.
Hanley mentioned because the operator turned onto Graham Avenue, the group acquired right into a combat. The motive force advised him one individual pulled out a gun and commenced pointing it at different passengers earlier than working as much as the entrance of the bus and pointing it on the operator.
“He pointed the gun on the protect and mentioned, ‘Let me off this bus proper right here.’ It was proper in entrance of the police constructing,” Hanley recalled the driving force telling him.
After he was let off the bus, the operator mentioned the person ran in direction of Portage Avenue.
“He couldn’t consider how briskly it occurred and what had simply occurred,” Hanley mentioned.
“He was simply hoping, ‘Please don’t shoot me.’”
Hanley mentioned the driving force was shaken up after the incident and will likely be taking a go away from work.
Whereas Hanley mentioned reported incidents are down this 12 months in comparison with the identical time final 12 months, the severity is worsening.
“The acts of violence on transit are rising,” he mentioned. “It’s just like the Wild West on the market. All people appears to be armed.”
Hanley additionally mentioned most people committing crimes on public transit aren’t paying the fare.
“After they don’t pay a fare, they really feel empowered,” he mentioned.
Hanley additionally pointed to a different incident that came about earlier within the week, the place an operator had picked up an individual in misery who then chased the driving force out the window of the bus.
“These are each day occasions that occur on the buses,” he mentioned.
In relation to curbing the problem, Hanley mentioned there must be higher enforcement and a means for riders to report crimes in actual time.
“There’s quite a lot of totally different applied sciences on the market that may be utilized for these form of crimes,” Hanley mentioned, pointing to Toronto’s SafeTTC App, the place passengers are in a position to report crimes anonymously. “We’re really probably bringing it right here to Winnipeg, however like all the things else, it prices cash.”
Hanley additionally pointed to Winnipeg Transit’s fare training marketing campaign, however mentioned extra must be carried out.
“This isn’t a free service. You must pay to journey this service. However with that should come enforcement,” he mentioned.
No arrests have been made in Friday’s incident. Winnipeg police are investigating.
