Attacks On SEPTA Bus Drivers Continue To Grow
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A 45-year-old SEPTA bus driver is recovering from injuries he sustained over the weekend.
The victim picked up a group of teens at 52nd and Chestnut in West Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. By the time he got to 54th and Greenway Avenue in Kingsessing, police say three teenaged boys dragged him off the Route 52 bus, and punched him repeatedly.
Eyewitness News has learned there have been 152 assaults against SEPTA bus drivers since 2009, 100 of them were forced to take off from work, as a result of their injuries.
"It's extremely frustrating to go work," said SEPTA General Manager Joe Casey. "You don't expect to be assaulted."
Casey says SEPTA bus drivers are trained to handle violent situations. Transit police and Philadelphia police already monitor the bus activity on the regular basis. Transport Workers Union Local 234, which represents SEPTA employees, says they would like to see more police on buses.
