Violent incidents still major concern for Winnipeg Transit Union

Earlier this year, the City of Winnipeg implemented a new transit safety team tasked with addressing the rising number of violent incidents on city buses, which reached a record high of 257 incidents in 20-23.

But while the overall number may have dipped this year, the severity continues to be a major concern, highlighted by a stabbing aboard a transit bus over the weekend.

“The level of violence that we are seeing now is of huge concern, it seems to be getting more severe,” explained Chris Scott, the president of the Amalgamated Transit Union 1505.

“We need people on the bus, we need them to feel safe on the bus. And for that, we need all levels of government to step up and address this crisis.”

One man was rushed to hospital Sunday night after an argument on a city bus escalated to a stabbing, marking 167 violent incidents in 2024 — a 25 per cent decrease from the previous year.

While appreciative of the work done by the transit officers, Scott argues more officers are needed.

“Having 20 to 25 people out at rush hour when there are 500 buses on the road, it’s like spitting on a fire,” said Scott.

Last year, numbers from the city illustrated Winnipeg Transit’s ongoing struggle to retain bus operators with numbers showing the agency experienced a net loss of operators in 2022.

Scott estimates that between 100 and 130 operators are currently on physical or mental leave. And says the mental health supports don’t adequately address the concerns of his members.

“Those who are providing the service, aren’t providing effective service so we have been pushing for better mental health supports for our members when they experience these traumatic events.”