ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — In the wake of the deadly attack on a Tampa bus driver, public transportation officials across the bay are taking action to protect their own drivers.
In light of the recent stabbing that killed Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) driver Thomas Dunn, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) announced it would swiftly install safety barriers for all its 210 buses -- in an effort to protect drivers.
PSTA Chief Executive Officer Brad Miller said the safety of drivers was PSTA's top priority. After hearing from drivers who were scared to go to work last week, Miller said he knew it was important to act quickly.
“The horrific murder of our fellow bus driver in Tampa was a shocking wake up call for our drivers, and we want to make sure that this tragedy doesn’t happen again,” said April Murphy, a retired bus driver and representative for the Service Employee International Union.
Dunn was randomly stabbed by a passenger, over in Hillsborough County, on May 18. Tampa police say Justin Ryan McGriff, 35, slit Dunn's throat with a straight-edged weapon after telling him "God bless you." Witnesses said there was no apparent provocation before the attack. McGriff is charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bail.
Dunn's bus did not have a safety partition.
PSTA says it will cost $4,000-$5,000 per installed shield. The finance committee will consider the purchase on June 19. A full board vote is expected on June 26.
From there, it would take four to six weeks for a company to make the barriers. If everything goes as planned, crews would begin installing them in August, and all buses would have the safety improvements by the end of October.
What other people are reading right now:
- This Microsoft Windows flaw is so bad the NSA is warning you to take immediate action
- Passengers: Captain drank beer, had cocaine and fired a gun during nightmare fishing trip
- Jupiter will be so close in June you can use binoculars to see its moons
- Coroner says woman died from THC overdose; experts say it's unlikely
►Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.