FTA report finds drivers assaults up at D.C. Metro

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Assaults against Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus drivers increased nearly 37% last year, according to a Federal Transit Administration report that found there have been 175 assaults on bus operators since 2012, The Washington Post reported.

The authority’s efforts to address the problem have been constrained, the FTA report said, by chronic farebox malfunctions — which can lead to driver-passenger disputes and violence. The report criticized WMATA as “not adequately” addressing the assaults and said “the agency has struggled with establishing a coordinated and cohesive approach.”

WMATA is under federal orders to expedite a strategy that gets to the root of the problem and incorporates training, police resources and community outreach. For the full story, click here.