Some North Vancouver bus drivers will continue to have an extra level of protection from assault on board, as part of a pilot project that has been extended for another three months.
A Plexiglas shield prototype that acts as a barrier between the bus drivers and passengers has been in place since January on a bus used in service in North Vancouver, Burnaby and Vancouver.
The biggest concern about the shields so far is a glare that creates a reflection of on-board passengers and the illusion that someone's waiting to get on the bus, according to Unifor 111, the union that represents the drivers. Still, 60 per cent of drivers are in favour of installing the shields.
The prototype, provided by WorkSafeBC in partnership with the union and the Coast Mountain Bus Company, will be used in three buses based out of Surrey, Port Coquitlam and Richmond as the pilot project expands.
