A new measure to protect BC Transit bus operators will soon be implemented in the South Okanagan-Similkameen region.
Passengers in this transit system will soon see buses equipped with full driver doors, designed to increase protection for drivers.
The protective doors, produced by AROW Global Corporation, are currently being installed on all conventional fleet buses in Penticton. The transit company advised there will be no impact to service levels while installations are taking place over roughly the next three days.
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This new system, the company announced Friday (August 28) is the new norm. All buses joining the fleet in the future will arrive with the new full doors pre-installed.
The full driver door includes a transparent piece of laminated tempered glass, a movable barrier which will be situated to the right of the driver’s seat near the fare box.
The new doors will replace the current vinyl panels, originally installed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Community and handyDART buses in both systems will continue to be equipped with vinyl panels.
Kodiak Mobile Video Installations, who are spearheading the current installation, will return to the city in September to retrofit all 27.5-foot buses that require alternate door designs.
BC Transit aims to have 633 buses retrofitted with full driver doors in 34 transit systems across B.C. before the end of September.
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