Transit Windsor director says buses remain safe as province targets drug use

The inside of a transit Windsor bus. July 16, 2018

While welcoming provincial measures aimed at improving transit safety, Transit Windsor Executive Director James Chacko stresses public transit remains an extremely safe way to get around.

Last week, the province announced plans to give special constables the power to arrest people caught doing drugs on public transit through a regulatory change aimed at cleaning up subways and buses across Ontario.

Chacko says most concerns raised locally are happening at bus stops and shelters, rather than onboard Transit Windsor buses.

“Where we are seeing problems, I think it was touched upon, is at some of the bus stops, at some of the shelters, because those are areas where people are just congregating at and they’re finding an area to sort of sleep or hide out or sit at,” he said.

“So those are where we see most of the challenges with either drug use or some unwanted behavior.”

He said Transit Windsor hears about issues directly from both staff and riders and they respond accordingly.

“We get feedback both from the drivers that they see as they encounter things, as they call things in if they need help in responding to issues, and also through the 311 system, we get feedback from residents, from transit users, and we do what we can to address those concerns,” Chacko said.

“Just the same thing as we do if there’s concerns were coming at a park or recreation facility. We do what we can to help both protect our staff and also provide the service to the residents that they expect.”

Chacko says onboard protections are already in place for drivers.

“Each one of the buses for the protection of the driver has a full barrier set up now, which helps to separate and create a little bit of delineation between the driver and the users of the transit system,” he said.

Windsor does not have transit police, which are mainly used in larger cities such as Toronto and Ottawa.

Those convicted under the provincial code could face a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or six months in prison.

-With files from CTV News