“This award is welcome recognition and we appreciate the gesture, but much work remains to be done.”
The joint health and safety committee of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), made up of representatives of the employer and the CA-OM-SC union, was presented an international award this past Saturday for its Sécuribus II program.
Sécuribus II aims to improve bus driver safety by providing training to assist employees in more quickly identifying problematic passengers and defusing conflict situations.
“This award is welcome recognition and we appreciate the gesture, but much work remains to be done,” stated CA-OM-SC union president Denis Vaillancourt. “Just look at the unfortunate event that took place near the end of April on board one of our buses.”
Additional practice improvements needed
The events of this April highlighted the importance of equipping all buses with working cameras starting with vehicles operating at night.
The union would also like to see more advertising in public buildings to raise passenger awareness about violence against employees.
“When it comes to health and safety, it’s important to always be looking to innovate and identify new and more effective practices,” added Vaillancourt. “We are continually seeking new approaches to ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers.”