Transit agency to require training for employees amid recent crashes

By MADELEINE WRIGHT

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — SEPTA is warning bus and trolley passengers to expect delays on their commute starting Monday.

The transit agency is requiring all employees to undergo safety training after several serious crashes.

John Hartmann from Northern Liberties gets around the city with SEPTA every day.

He says the bus is delayed so often, he sometimes just walks, but now his commute could get even longer.

“It’s certainly not going to help. I also have two jobs, so like, I use SEPTA a lot for that. So that’ll probably be pretty hectic,” Hartmann said.

Starting Monday, SEPTA is pulling bus and trolley drivers from their regular duties so they can take part in mandatory safety reinforcement training.

SEPTA says riders should expect delays for the next eight weeks.

“I’ll probably have to use Lyft and Uber a lot more, which I’ll have to factor into my budget, which won’t be fun,” Hartmann said.

On July 21, two SEPTA buses collided on Roosevelt Boulevard in Rhawnhurst, killing a passenger and injuring 13 other people.

On July 25, a SEPTA bus ran off the road and hit a building at 15th and Walnut Streets in Center City.

Then on July 28, a SEPTA trolley jumped the tracks and hit a historic building in Southwest Philly.

One commuter, Sylvester H. Stone, is feeling disheartened.

“It’s a shame. I’ve never even heard of stuff like before that in my life, and I’ve been around here a long time,” Stone said.

SEPTA says the one-day intensive training will emphasize the importance of safety and provide a forum for employees to give feedback.

The training will start with 2500 bus and trolley drivers and eventually include all employees.

“We’re doing our best to get as much of it done as possible by Labor Day because we know ridership picks up then. Schools are back. People are coming back from vacations,” SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said.

Hartmann says the delays will take some getting used to but he understands the need for the training.

“I think it’s good,” Hartmann said. “I would want as much training as possible if I worked for SEPTA. I know they do, I mean, their job is pretty hard.”

SEPTA says it will make every effort to minimize the disruption to customers during the training.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.