The bus drivers’ union in Calgary, Alberta, is calling on city officials to outfit its transit buses with winter tires.
Mike Mahar, Calgary local president for the Amalgamated Transit Union, said the winter tires are a serious safety issue, and would aid the bus system in better serving riders during severe weather.
“Unfortunately with a bus they’re so heavy,” he said. “When the road ices up the bus will slide into the curb. They just don’t handle like a lighter vehicle so there needs to be extra preventative measures taken.”
The call from the union came in the aftermath of a serious winter storm that socked the city last week, leaving more than a few Calgary buses stuck on the city’s snowy streets.
“When we got hit last week really bad with snow there were a lot of buses in the ditch and maybe snow tires could help. You never know, it can’t hurt to try,” one passenger told the local media.
The city operates 870 buses, and some city officials say there simply isn’t money in the budget to outfit all of the buses with winter treads. Still, reports say that the city council plans to take up the issue.
