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The front doors have been closed since the pandemic occurred in March of last year. Now Västtrafik thinks it’s time for another solution. At the beginning of March, the doors of Borås city buses will open, then the turn will come to Sjuhärad and Trollhättan-Vänersborg. After that, the rest of Västtrafik’s approximately 2,000 buses will open.
READ MORE: Västtrafik is starting to open the front doors of the buses
– When the customer enters through the front door, the driver becomes more available to answer questions and we have the opportunity to endorse the tickets in an easier way. So congestion decreases if customers enter through the front door and exit through the back door, says Anna Johansson, unit manager at Västtrafik.
When does this happen in Gothenburg?
– We hope to finish all our bus lines before summer. Exactly in what order I don’t know.
Why are the trams not covered?
– We take one area at a time to be able to do it in a structured way. Later on we will see the trams, answers Anna Johansson.
READ MORE: Västtrafik installs a new tram line
Drivers must be protected from corona infection with Plexiglass that is placed around the booths. However, this solution has received harsh criticism when it was previously implemented in Stockholm. Light reflections off glass give poorer visibility, employee representatives say. The number of incident reports in bus traffic has risen sharply, reports DN. In Umeå, 159 bus drivers have signed a petition against safety glass.
Kjell Karlsson, ombudsman for the Kommunal union in the former Älvsborg and Skaraborg counties, is not happy with the news from Västtrafik.
– Glass is a protection against infection, but light reflections when it is dark outside is a disturbing factor. They eliminate visibility and can actually create danger. Västtrafik and employers want drivers to show tickets and collect. It’s about money, he says.
READ MORE: Here you can try the autonomous bus
He emphasizes that many drivers have a better environment with closed front doors. Threats and violence have decreased significantly.
– This can be better solved. Turn ticket vending machines upside down and let inspectors check travel documents, believes Kjell Karlsson.
“We do what we can”
Anna Johansson from Västtrafik comments on the criticisms as follows:
– Our transport companies ensure that the safety glass meets the requirements that must be established from a road safety perspective.
Is there a different type of glass in Västra Götaland than in Stockholm?
– They have a slightly different design depending on the appearance of the vehicle. But it is basically the same type of glass.
Can you be sure to avoid the problems that have been reported from Stockholm?
– We have training with drivers, we collaborate with the Swedish Work Environment Authority and safety representatives. Transportation companies look at it together with drivers and do tests. We do what we can to minimize that risk, responds Anna Johansson.
READ MORE: Here, bus drivers can start denying travelers
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