RIPTA Bus Drivers "Overworked and Underappreciated," Says Union in Calling for Changes

RIPTA Bus Drivers "Overworked and Underappreciated," Says Union in Calling for Changes

The union for RIPTA bus drivers this week issued a statement saying that its members are "overworked and underappreciated" -- and are calling on RIPTA management to make significant changes. 

Union Statement 

"The Executive board of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 618 would like to set the record straight regarding the current transportation crisis which is leaving our Rhode Islanders stranded. It’s time for solutions not excuses.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

As our members labored through this pandemic, and continue to do so, feeling over worked and underappreciated, RIPTA continues to create new obstacles for our members to overcome. Our paratransit operators are being bullied, intimidated and even being forced to work overtime by RIPTA management. Tired of the mistreatment, employees are quitting at almost the same rate they are being hired. This ill treatment of employees at the hands of RIPTA’s management team is not the answer to correcting RIPTA’s incompetence.

Our fixed route drivers have three 'choose ups' per year where employees pick their assignments. During our summer 'choose up' over thirty new runs were added which we do not have enough drivers to cover which is resulting in over two hundred trips being lost per day. These lost trips are leaving Rhode Islanders stranded and our hard-working members have been the target of their frustration. 

To be clear, it is not because of our drivers being absent. If every driver reported to work tomorrow that RIPTA employs, we still would not be able to cover the 30 plus additional assignments that RIPTA has created. This is clearly a mismanaged issue and we feel that the Chief Director of Strategic Planning constructed this mess and needs to assume responsibility. 

To add to this predicament, RIPTA attempted to present another “choose up” which has added even more trips to accommodate our school children in addition to the over thirty assignments already not being covered exacerbating the public’s warranted distress as to whether or not they’ll get to their destination. 

Furthermore, RIPTA’s website is not user friendly or frequently updated making it even more difficult for passengers to plan for alternative transportation due to lost trips. Our drivers are not the problem, as they are working constant overtime, sometimes as much as fifteen hours per day to try to accommodate our riders to reach their destination.

Our drivers have been assaulted, belittled and put under extreme amounts of stress due to RIPTA’s Chief Director of Strategic Planning’s incompetence. We urge the public to please refrain from directing their anger toward our drivers and street supervisors as they are the only ones out on the road working to get them to their destination.

During a recent meeting with RIPTA and the governor’s office, the Union offered a temporary solution for coverage of Providence school trips to get our children to and from school. We are working closely with RIPTA to implement this solution as quickly and seamlessly as possible. 

In the meantime, we urge the public to contact RIPTA direct with any questions or complaints due to RIPTA’s service issues, and even reach out to your local politicians to assist in this issue as well."

RIPTA Responds 

On Thursday, RIPTA responded to the allegations. 

"In Rhode Island and across the country there is a shortage of staff necessary to maintain daily transportation services. As a result, this is causing a disruption in daily fixed-route bus service. Recently, RIPTA along with Senior Staff from Governor McKee’s office met with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Division 618 leaders to discuss how to resolve recent bus service disruption for Providence Schools students.  

Following the meeting, RIPTA and the Union agreed to move forward with the Union’s recommendation to call upon former bus operators who are current employees in different roles to help transport school trippers. RIPTA has attempted to implement this solution but has not been able to recruit any of the former bus operators yet. To prepare passengers for a disruption in their service, RIPTA will update its website nightly with anticipated service delays and cancellations. 

RIPTA.com/alerts will be updated nightly with a list of routes that will be impacted the next day and reupdated in the morning.  Passengers are encouraged to visit the website to see if their route is affected.  RIPTA asks passengers to please be patient and courteous to our drivers and fellow passengers as we navigate through this unprecedented time."