Bus driver shooting sparks more calls for safety

SEPTA says assaults on bus drivers have more than doubled since last year, and the Tuesday night shooting of an operator has the authority, Local 234 and others pushing legislation to hopefully reduce the number of assaults.

Bernetta V. Rembert was shot in the arm Tuesday night at Vare and Snyder avenues as she shielded her face from the gunman outside the bus she was operating.

SEPTA GM Joe Casey tells the Daily News there have been 46 assaults on operators this year, and he is among the supporters of Sen. Christine Tartaglione’s bill to add transit workers to the law that makes it an aggravated assault to assault police, firefighters and 34 other types of public employees.

Proponents say aside from the need to protect operators, the bill takes into account how serious an attack against a driver can become if the operator were to lose control of a moving bus.