THUNDER BAY – The City of Thunder Bay looks set to move ahead with protective shields for city bus drivers, a response the union representing the drivers has long called for following numerous assaults on operators.
The city installed shield units on two city buses earlier this month as part of a three-month pilot project. The pilot will collect driver feedback on how the shields impact service for riders, safe vehicle operations, and issues like temperature and air flow in the operator compartment.
On Monday, city council approved over $500,000 in capital funding to install shields in all 48 city buses in 2021, contingent on a successful pilot.
About $370,000 of that total comes through an Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant from the federal government, while the remainder will be funded from the provincial gas tax reserve fund.
