After a female bus driver had to fend off a guy who reportedly tried to take control of a MiWay bus in Mississauga, the union representing transit employees in the city is seeking enhanced safety standards.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday. At around 12:30 a.m., Peel Regional Police responded to a complaint of a guy who allegedly approached a car and began to damage their vehicle near Burnhamthorpe Road West and Erindale Station Road.
According to authorities, the same individual then boarded a MiWay bus and attempted to seize control of it.
“While the attempted hijacker wrestled with the female operator to take control of the bus, the operator fought him off and was able to bring the vehicle to a safe stop,” ATU Local 1572 said in a news release Wednesday.
The city confirmed the incident and said that when a transit supervisor arrived at the scene, the suspect left the bus and stole their vehicle.
“This is just another reminder of the dangers our transit professionals face daily in the line of duty,” ATU Local 1572 President Jack Jackson said in the union’s release.
“The City of Mississauga needs to take all acts of aggression more seriously, as they are clear precursors to more serious events that may follow. Events like we just witnessed. Proper front-line support and better response times are just a start to protecting our members.”
Police managed to track down the suspect using a GPS tracker in the supervisor’s car. He was taken into custody a short time later and is facing several charges.
Source_ globalnews.ca
