Frustrations have boiled over yet again on a TTC bus after a confrontation between a driver and a rider on Saturday morning.
The incident happened on the Dufferin 29 bus near Castlefeild Avenue. In a video sent to CP24's My Breaking News, the driver appears to confront the rider when he notices he is being taped on a camera phone after returning to the bus from a break.
When the driver demands the rider get off the bus and turn the phone off, the rider refuses, and then the driver declares he's shutting the bus down.
According to the rider, Toronto resident Kacey Coutain, everyone on the bus was asked to get off, forcing them to catch the next one that came along. Coutain says there was issue surrounding his student fare when he first got on.
In response to the video, TTC spokesman Brad Ross tells CP24 that they will review the incident on Monday with appropriate staff.
"Obviously our employees are extremely sensitive right now. I can't say with any conviction that the operator's actions were consistent with our operating policy," he says in a statement.
Meanwhile, the chief general manager of the TTC, Gary Webster, has issued a strong statement in the wake of this latest incident in a letter to employees.
"I don't know about you, but I am becoming increasingly tired of defending the reputation of the TTC; tired of explaining what is acceptable and what is not; and tired of stating the obvious: that much of the behaviour being reported is, indeed, unacceptable."
"The culture of complacency and malaise that has seeped into our organization will end. I hold all of management responsible to make this happen. Reviews and plans are under way to address systemic issues regarding customer service, but real change starts with you."
