Local News

‘I rely on you’: MBTA asks riders to speak up as assaults on bus drivers spike

The agency said assaults on transit workers across the country has tripled since 2008.

By Molly Farrar

January 31, 2024

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The MBTA is reminding riders to report assaults on bus drivers as attacks continue to rise. 

The transit agency posted two emotional videos on Instagram, featuring three bus drivers. According to the T, assaults on transit workers across the country have tripled since 2008.

Alix, an MBTA driver for almost 20 years, said he was spit on in the past.

“Being a bus operator, you try to do the best that you can. You try to deescalate the most, but you have to make the best out of it honestly,” he said. “It can definitely be challenging. I want the public to treat me as I treat them.”

Last year, the MBTA reported 24 assaults against employees during a single month, most of which involved bus drivers. Earlier this month, a man allegedly struck a bus driver in Jamaica Plain after he refused to pay his fare. Last summer, another bus driver was shot with a pellet gun.

The Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589, which represents more than 6,000 MBTA employees, is advocating for better protections for transit workers. Last week, two union leaders presented their work on H.1669 at a conference. The bill that would impose stricter penalties for people who assault transit workers, including with bodily fluids.

The MBTA said riders can “discreetly and anonymously” report any attacks or suspicious activity on the MBTA See Say app. 

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