Episode 33 features an interview where we learn a little more why Winnipeg Transit can’t solve the violence and disorder plaguing routes, and how City Council and the police are responsible to solve the problem.
Part 1- What happened at the Public Hearing on Tuesday?
Marty Gold touches briefly on what he said to City Council about opening up ‘Malls and Corridors’ for residential housing buiilds – and what it took to even get registered to speak- in the first segment and in his Sun column today – City Hall Roadblocks Discourage Public Participation At Marathon Meeting .
4.00- A Transit supervisor barely escaped an attack with an improvised ‘flamethrower’ at Graham and Fort on Friday. The perp had been sleeping on the bus for a couple of hours until being roused that morning.
Combined with the assault and robbery of a 21 year old girl getting off a bus in Windsor Park, there’s no question that even being near Transit is a dangerous proposition- and that undermines the concept that new tenants on Malls and Corridors will risk taking a bus.
(Editor’s note– as this episode was in post-production yet another incident involving a machete-wielding man in a bus shelter and police occured at Unicity plaza.)
14.20 Part 2- Once upon a time, before his outsider run for Mayor, Don Woodstock worked as a Transit driver. Earlier in November, he spoke with TGCTS about ways to improve overall bus safety and efficiency.
– “Management has no interest or desire to make sure they have a workforce like it was 20 years ago”
– “If you can’t keep your staff, that’s an indication that something is wrong.”
– Even if MPI doesn’t find an Operator at fault for an accident, Transit management can disregard it and penalize an employee.
– Don explains the ‘white card’ system that blames drivers for almost anything.
– If new police hires replace the role of Supervisors in incident responses, where they basically still have to wait for the cops, those supervisors can put on their blue shirt and get back behind the wheel.
“We have a system bloated in bureaucracy.”
27.20 – “Let us put plainclothes officers in the bus in designated routes that we know we have problems.”
– “The police top brass need to find away to interject the junior officers, supervisors ultimately stiil have to call police anyway.”
31.00 – “They have done nothing to assure the general public they are going to be safe.”
35.15 Part 3 – A Rally for Public Safety is being hosted by ATU from 10.30 to Noon on Tuesday at City Hall, 510 Main Street.
“We want to encourage riders who have felt unsafe to participate at the rally.”
Marty will be covering the rally for the Sun.
– A preview of upcoming topics heading into the New Year, including Manitoba Hydro wind farms, city hall ‘integrity’, and more in-depth interviews! That’s how we earn your support!
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