HART unveils driver safety shield installations for bus and van fleet

More than $1 million of safety shields manufactured of tempered glass are being installed on Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority’s (HART) fleet of 180 buses and 12 HARTFlex vans with the support of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1593.

HART and ATU Local 1593 collaborated with manufacturer AROW Global to select and approve the best option to cover operator space. Each shield is equipped with an interior latch which operators can slide-lock while in their seat compartment.

HART's maintenance team, in coordination with AROW Global, is custom fitting each bus and van, which includes moving the fare box and other on-board equipment. The new safety-shields will be rolled out to the public on a regular schedule over the next few weeks.

In August, HART launched a new rider awareness campaign, 'Ride with Respect' to promote a positive on-board experience for both operators and customers.

The campaign targets customers, operators and the community and consists of education of the safety and security rules, riding etiquette, operator customer service training and a social media campaign aimed to elevate the transit operator position to the level of first responders.

In July, HART hosted Florida's first Transit Safety and Security Symposium at the Tampa River Center. National safety and security experts and transit agencies from across Florida and the country met to discuss and develop solutions to improve operator and customer safety on public transportation. Symposium topics ranged from Transit Worker Altercations to Hazard and Threat Identification and Analysis.

In addition, HART partnered with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and provided HART operators with De-escalation & Situational Awareness Training.

De-escalation & Situational Awareness Training focused on the following points:

·       De-escalation (communication tactics)

·        Evasion/Escape (move to a safe location)

·        Law Enforcement notification (LE response)

The training is taught by actual sheriff deputies with portions of the training will take place on actual HART buses.