La gerente general de la MBTA envió una carta pública a los empleados manifestando su preocupación por las recientes agresiones de las que han sido víctimas varios conductores del T. Al respecto indicó que la agencia planea colocar más cámaras de video en los autobuses y está estudiando la posibilidad de instalar tabiques que separen a los conductores de los pasajeros.
Además, la MBTA ha lanzado una nueva campaña publicitaria llamada “Don’t Touch The Driver†(No toque al conductor) que consiste en varios carteles colocados dentro de los autobuses y trenes, en los que figuran unas manos esposadas que advierten que cualquier agresor será detenido y procesado.
«La violencia hacia un conductor de autobús está en contra de la ley», dice un cartel. «Vamos a perseguir.»
A continuación la carta, que fue hecha pública esta semana y enviada a los empleados del T en abril:
Dear fellow T employee,
I want you to know how deeply troubled I am by several recent brazen attacks on our employees in the course of them doing their jobs, and to let you know that we will not sit by idly and let these egregious acts go unanswered. Certainly, getting assaulted is not part of any T employee’s job. In the latest incident, one of our bus operators was attacked by a large group of teenagers who flagged down his bus and assaulted him. Our public cares and we appreciate their support in helping to identify and apprehend these assailants. Fortunately, our operator is recovering, and two of the attackers have been arrested. But this incident reminds us that we must proactively inform our customers that an assault on a T employee is against the law, and that offenders will be prosecuted. Front-line MBTA employees are particularly vulnerable to such attacks. I assure you that management and labor are committed to working collaboratively to solve this problem, and we will be working together with departments across the T on preventative and mitigating measures. In the coming weeks we will roll out an Employee Safety Program to reduce the potential for attacks. We will continue equipping more buses with video cameras to deter and record attacks, and will assess the feasibility of installing partitions to separate drivers from passengers. In addition, we will expand our training to give bus operators and other employees the tools they need to de-escalate potentially violent situations and protect themselves. A Public Service Announcement will air in all T stations warning customers that assaulting a T employee is a serious crime※one that they should think twice about committing. That message will be reinforced on our buses and in our stations with car cards and seat-back decals. Meanwhile, we will continue pushing for legislation at the statehouse to strengthen the law for assaulting an operator. One of our mantras at the T is “Safety is our number 1 priority.’’ Foremost, this includes the safety of our customers and all our employees, from the front lines to the garages. So, let’s work together to make sure the public understands that we stand together in this endeavor and that we mean what we say. I thank each one of you for your tireless efforts, and for the commitment, dedication, and professionalism you display every day.
Sincerely, Beverly A. Scott, Ph.D.
General Manager and Rail & Transit Administrator
