Daneek Miller: Bus Drivers Need Support, Not Cuffs

In an Op-Ed in Sunday's Daily News, Councilman Daneek Miller -- 20-year Bus Operator and former President of ATU Local 1056 -- lays it on the line about the criminalization of Bus Operators under the new "Vision Zero" law:

"Every day, some 8 million commuters take public transportation in the New York City area, and about 2.5 million ride the MTA’s 5,700 buses along 310 routes. It’s the largest municipal bus system in the nation.

Running such a system on our busy streets is no small feat. It demands the often grueling labor and attention of thousands of bus operators — professionals whose work is essential to our weekday commutes, our weekend plans and even our regional economy. I know, because for nearly two decades I drove a city bus through Brooklyn and Queens.

Now, a misguided and disproportionate enforcement push threatens these operators and jeopardizes their ability to deliver service to the high standards New Yorkers expect and need.

Read the entire piece here.