Posted: | October 24, 2023 03:52 PM |
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From: | Senator Frank A. Farry and Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Keeping our Public Transportation Workers Safe |
Our public transportation is a vital part of our communities. Many citizens of this Commonwealth need public transportation to perform their everyday functions in life. Transit operators keep public transportation running across this Commonwealth. Sadly, there are bad actors who dangerously interfere or assault transit operators. These actors not only disrupt public transportation but put operators, passengers, and pedestrians lives at risk. Our legislation would amend Title 75, by adding a new offense of “interference with an operator of a bus or mass transit vehicle.” That offense would be classified as a felony of the third degree. If a person commits an aggravated assault against an operator, the penalty would be a felony of the first degree. SEPTA is a proponent of this legislation to help safeguard transit drivers as well as passengers, other motorists, and pedestrians. Successful prosecution of incidents under the legislative proposals above would raise public awareness and act as a deterrent for would-be perpetrators in an effort to reduce and eliminate assaults against transit operators. Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation to keep our transit operators and our public transportation safe. |
Introduced as SB977