TTC dismisses red-light running bus driver

Excerpt from Toronto Star Article, July 28 2014:

"The TTC has fired the driver of a bus that ran a red light and nearly hit a pedestrian in Scarborough.

The incident was caught on video by a dashboard camera and posted on the internet last week. It shows a bus going through the intersection of Ionview Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E. on a yellow light about 9:15 a.m. last Monday.

Even though the light has turned red, a second bus moves into the intersection, swerving to narrowly avoid a pedestrian stepping into the road.

“Our operators know, like every motorist and everybody who drives, that the highway traffic act applies to everybody so running a red light is not acceptable,” said TTC spokesperson Brad Ross.

The head of the transit workers’ union has suggested that occasional aggressive driving is a result of the TTC’s tight scheduling.

But Ross said, “No schedule excuses running of red lights or any unsafe driving practice by any employee of the TTC.”

TTC drivers are supposed to “lead by example,” said Ross.

If a driver has a problem with the route schedule that should be raised within the TTC, he said.

The dismissed driver was a relatively new employee who had only just begun her shift, according to Star sources."

It is interesting to see the aftermath of the video that was last posted. The driver has been fired and we know that it is pretty hard to fire an employee in a unionized environment. I feel like because of all the scrutiny the TTC is under, they have to resort to the last end of the disciplinary action. Normally, since noone is injured, the TTC would be more inclined to give a warning and then suspending the employee. However, it may also be that the employee is still under probation so any wrongdoings may result in termination of the employee. I would like to see TTC provide more trainings to their bus drivers and operators. Despite their claim that they provide multiple trainings to ensure drivers meet the highest qualifications, it is still often not reflected by a lot of operators. 

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/07/28/ttc_dismisses_redlight_running_bus_driver.html