Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) began the full installation of operator retractable shields across the entire bus fleet on Oct. 7. The accelerated installation of retractable shields is part of the roughly C$20 million (US$15.15 million) in Council-approved funding from last fall for further safety and security enhancements on transit.
Retractable shields will first be installed on ETS’ 159 air-conditioned buses, at a rate of approximately 30 shields per week. Retractable shield installation for the remainder of the bus fleet (roughly 1,000 buses total) will follow. The anticipated completion date for the entire ETS bus fleet is fall 2020.
“It’s very important we provide a safe working environment for all of our operators,” said Eddie Robar, branch manager, ETS. “Operators spend many hours behind the wheel and we need to help ensure they all return home safely at the end of their shift.”
The retractable shields give bus operators the ability to open or close a power window within the shield, depending on the circumstances.
In May 2019, retractable shields were installed on four ETS buses to determine installation requirements on different bus models. Based on these requirements, the manufacturer has started producing customized shields for each model within the fleet.
The shields are part of a collaborative effort with the Amalgamated Transit Union.
