First Week Of SEPTA Bus Safety Pilot Program Launches, 12 Buses Equipped With New Tech
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- It is an all too common scene - people walking the streets, their eyes on their phone, loud music blasting in their ears.
"When they're crossing the street, walking on the sidewalk - they bump into people. Somebody's calling, there could be an emergency behind them or something happened and they wouldn't even notice," said Dominick, a frequent SEPTA bus rider.
So, in comes Septa's Safe Turn Alert System. This week is the first of this pilot program and the route 31 is the first route to test it out. SEPTA officials say 12 buses are equipped with this alert technology and are part of the regular rotation.
Septa's manager of operational safety Ed Abel Jr. says the alerts work with no extra steps needed from bus drivers.
"When they turn the steering wheel it activates the strobe on the side of he bus as well as the audio alarm, letting the pedestrians know the bus is turning," Abel said.
The program runs through October, a different route tested each week. Septa officials say they are trying it out on routes where buses turn frequently.