[Sustain] Fwd: MUNI Pulls Hybrids From Bayview

[Eric Brooks]

http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress/2008/03/08/vandalism-prompts-officials-to-pull-hybrid-busesfrom-bayview-hunters-point-lines/


    Vandalism prompts officials to pull hybrid buses
    from Bayview-Hunters Point lines
    <http://www.fogcityjournal.com/wordpress/2008/03/08/vandalism-prompts-officials-to-pull-hybrid-busesfrom-bayview-hunters-point-lines/>

* By Ashley Wright and Jesse Dungan*

March 8, 2008

Hybrid buses running through San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point 
District were removed Thursday to preserve driver and passenger safety, 
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials said Friday.

Vandals have been accessing the bus's power switch through a panel door 
on the sides of the hybrid buses running on the 54-Felton, MUNI 
spokesman Judson True said.

"The safety issue came to our attention and we addressed it in the short 
term," True said of pulling the buses.

A long-term solution to the problem may include adding locks to the 
panel doors, he said. The cost of installing the locks would not be 
significant, True said.

"Our first priority is making sure that our drivers, customers and 
vehicles are safe," he added.

Bus service has not been interrupted and is running regularly.

However, officials said Wednesday that the agency is working on an 
increased police presence, which will include undercover officers on 
buses, on the on the 44 O'Shaughnessy and 54-Felton lines running 
through the Bayview-Hunters Point District due to a jump in violence on 
the lines.

The decision was made by Municipal Transportation Authority Executive 
Director Nathaniel Ford in conjunction with the Police Department, 
according to True.

There have been 10 reported incidents of violence this year, which have 
varied from operators being assaulted to vehicles being damaged by 
thrown rocks, True said.

"We have seen an increase in these sorts of attacks over the last two 
months and we wanted to let all of our stakeholders know we are doing 
everything we can to keep customers and operators safe," True said.

Service was temporarily suspended on the 44-O'Shaughnessy and 54-Felton 
lines earlier in the year due to reported incidents, according to True. 
He said that service is suspended on a case-by-case basis.


-- 
"I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

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