Metro equips entire bus fleet with barrier between drivers and passengers

In a continued effort to make Metro transportation safer for both passengers and drivers, company officials on Tuesday announced another step in the right direction. 

They unveiled barriers designed to fully enclose drivers on their entire fleet of 2,105 buses. They're made of shatterproof, tempered glass and are also constructed of steel and laminated in low reflectivity material, according to a statement. 

The design was completely made in-house at Metro's Central Maintenance Facility in Downtown Los Angeles. In all, they say that about 55,000 square feet of material were made, which would be enough to cover an entire football field. 

Metro's Board of Directors approved an emergency procurement that accelerated the installation of the barriers back in April, with final installations being made on Monday. 

Buses already equipped with the barriers since April have made a noticeable difference, officials said. Drivers were 58% less likely to be assaulted as they have an extra layer of protection from physical attacks like punching, grabbing, throwing or spitting. 

Metro, the second busiest bus system in the nation, is now the country's first transit agency to retrofit its fleet with this type of protection.

It's just the latest move made in a series of steps to make buses safer, which also include digital video records and emergency buttons that operators can use to call for help. Drivers have undergone mandatory de-escalation training and riders have been encouraged to report issues through the "See Something, Say Something" campaign.