Union calls for cameras on all buses after attack in Surrey

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The union that represents local bus drivers says there are 228 buses in Metro Vancouver that don’t have cameras, like the older one a driver was in when he was assaulted in Surrey last night.

The union’s Nathan Woods says those buses from the 1990s were suppose to be replaced four to five years ago.

“We’ve heard that outfitting a coach with cameras is approximately $90,000. I don’t know if that is an accurate number or not or if they can change that at the factory level,” he explains.

Woods tells us the older buses are only still operating in certain areas. “[They are] primarily operated out of the Surrey and Richmond depot, and in PoCo as well.”

Stan Sierpina, VP of Operations with Coast Mountain Bus Company, says he doesn’t know when new buses will arrive.

“So, there are some of the older buses that are not camera-equipped, but the newer ones coming in will be camera-equipped. I wouldn’t say [the replacements] are coming in the next year or two — I don’t know what the replacement schedule is, to be honest with you.”

The union is also now discussing the possibility of bus driver barriers with WorkSafeBC; it’s something the company says it could also get behind.

TransLink says 60 per cent of its fleet does have cameras installed.

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