25-02-2025
SEPTA to install bulletproof cockpits in buses to protect drivers
SEPTA is planning to roll out bulletproof glass cockpits on buses this spring to protect drivers.
Why it matters: This would likely be a first for any public transportation agency in the U.S., according to the union representing bus operators.
State of play: SEPTA will install the armored-glass compartments on eight buses, agency spokesperson Andrew Busch tells Axios.
The cockpits would completely encapsulate drivers and are not expected to reduce the number of passenger seats.
SEPTA Police have tested the glass and the agency is finalizing engineering details — making sure the buses can handle the added weight.
Context: SEPTA has seen a surge of assaults against operators and other transit workers since 2020.
That includes the 2023 fatal shooting of SEPTA bus driver Bernard Gribbin, who was killed while operating a Route 23 bus.
Plus: Safety concerns for SEPTA workers and riders also drew the scrutiny of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which conducted its own safety inspection and ordered SEPTA to make several fixes.
Zoom in: Custom Glass Solutions, which has a factory in Bucks County, will build the cockpits.
The Ohio-based company began working with Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 234, the union representing SEPTA operators, on a design for the enclosures after Gribbin 's death.
Between the lines: TWU bargained for the bulletproof enclosures in buses during last year's contract negotiations.
What they're saying:"This safety measure is necessary because of the outrageous and grotesque level of violence against front-line transit workers," TWU International president John Samuelsen said in a statement.
He recommended that transit agencies across the U.S. also install the bulletproof compartments.
