‘An endless loop’: For Winnipeg commuters, transit safety is a big concern

For Brittany Rondeau, safety on the city’s transit system is a priority.

The Winnipegger shared her experiences travelling on buses, from witnessing people getting spat on to older commuters being attacked. A mixture of bad experiences has her feeling that the system itself is “horrendous.”

“Safey-wise, I hate bringing my daughter on the bus because it’s that bad. There’s been assaults we’ve witnessed, and I don’t know, they just need something else,” Rondeau said. “Maybe security?”

The Amalgamated Transit Union recorded 91 assaults on transit between January and October this year. Last year saw the most assaults on record at 104.

Rondeau said the advice she gives her daughter when taking the bus is to keep to herself.

“(She) will put her headphones in so she’s not listening to things that are going on in the bus. I explain (to her) that everybody has their own, different life story, that we can’t judge people and that one day we’ll get a vehicle,” she said.

“That’s pretty much the extent that I can tell her.”

Garnet Sinclair, another Winnipeg local, said he feels the same way. He added that his experience with the transit system is “horrible.”

When travelling with his children, Sinclair said he talks to them after the commute about what they’ve seen and had to experience. To him, it’s saddening to have his kids be exposed to such experiences.

One of the things he said he wants to see changed is also seating on the buses.

“Bring back the old seats — the comfortable seats,” Sinclair said.

Chris Scott, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said the transit system itself faces issues internally, key among which is staffing shortages, leaving current staff ill-equipped to deal with social issues.

He said that during the September long weekend, the union noted about two assaults occurring on buses every day. With the staffing concerns, transit workers, he added, are being stretched too thin.

“We estimate 20 to 30 per cent of the service that goes out on a daily basis is run on overtime,” Scott said.

Across Winnipeg, a new community safety team is set to patrol transit routes starting early next year. Consisting of peace officers, the team will not only have the authority to arrest individuals but will also be armed with training in non-violent crisis intervention.

Bob Chrismas, a former Winnipeg police officer, is tasked with leading the safety team. He said the goal of the unit is to provide more of a social service, rather than act as a security force.

“What I envision is these officers walking up to somebody who’s freezing in a bus shack and say, ‘What can we do for you? Let’s get you somewhere warm and get you some resources.’”

According to Chrismas, the team will operate alongside other downtown organizations to divert calls from emergency services. He added that while a transit team is a good addition to the overall question of transit safety, dealing with other factors like addictions and homelessness would establish securer solutions.

Union president Scott echoed the statement. To him, city planning should be built around the transit system to ultimately draw in more riders and boost the service.

“We need to draw people to the service because without the ridership, the service declines. It’s an endless loop,” Scott said.

— with files from Global’s Iris Dyck.