Bus Operator Safety - Critical Issues Examination and Model Practices

In this study, researchers at the National Center for Transit Research performed a multi-topic comprehensive examination of bus operator-related critical safety and personal security issues. The goals of this research effort were to: (1) Identify and discuss the organizational reporting structure related to safety departments and/or function within each of the 30 fixed route public transit agencies in Florida, with input also provided by transit agencies from across the United States; (2) Identify and document model policies and practices that address the post event condition of bus operators and their ability to return to duty; (3) Summarize the current practices related to driver’s licenses and criminal history background checks and identify model policies or procedures related to these record checks; (4) Examine the training opportunities being provided by transit agencies and report the successes of these training programs on reducing the safety and security issues related to distracted driving and assaults; and (5) Provide recommendations on how transit agencies can improve their training processes to be more effective in dealing with both the safety and security related issues discussed in this research.