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Union for Beaumont Transit workers calls city buses 'unfit for service' amid safety concerns

The union claims it's been complaining about the issue for two years.

BEAUMONT, Texas — The union that represents Beaumont Transit workers says nearly 90 percent of buses are "unfit for service."

The local chapter of Transit Management of Beaumont First Transit union conducted an in-depth safety survey of the buses between April 20 and May 3. 

“For years, bus operators have been demanding that Transit Management of Beaumont/First Transit and the City of Beaumont take safety seriously,” said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1031 President and Business Agent Arlon Jackson.

The union says out of the 18 vehicles inspected in total,16 of them showed safety-related defects. Additional findings reported from the survey are listed below.

  • 50% of the vehicles surveyed had safety-related brake defects, including brakes that reacted too slowly or pulled the vehicle sharply in one direction
  • 88% of the vehicles surveyed had safety-related body defects, including cracked windows, broken mirror controls, broken wipers, and more
  • 44% of vehicles surveyed had safety-related accessibility defects, like malfunctioning kneeling systems and ramps for loading wheelchairs
  • 44% of vehicles surveyed had malfunctioning bus operator and passenger seats, belts that would not unlock, and more
  • More than a quarter of the vehicles surveyed had malfunctioning transmissions, lights, fire suppression systems, or failing suspension

MORE| Read full news release here

The union says they've been complaining about the issues to management for more than two years to no avail. The union also claims the city doesn't have a body shop to send the buses for repair.

"This safety inspection is damning evidence they couldn't care less about us, about the people riding, or about the people who share the road with us," Jackson said.

ATU Local 1031 has been in collective bargaining negotiations with Transit Management of Beaumont First Transit since October 2020.

12News reached out to outgoing Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames for comment. She has yet to respond as of Wednesday night.

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