SEPTA adds bulletproof glass to some buses, and one driver says he already feels safer
SEPTA is installing bulletproof glass on some of its buses following months of testing aimed at improving driver safety. The Philadelphia-based transit agency said it is the first in the country to deploy the technology on its fleet.
SEPTA said the glass is designed to protect drivers from gunfire and physical assaults. Officials said the upgrade comes in response to several attacks on drivers, including the 2023 shooting death of operator Bernard Gribbin.
"We need to keep operator safety at the forefront," Sean Taggart, chief officer of automotive equipment engineering and maintenance for SEPTA, said. "That is the world we live in today."
CBS News Philadelphia previously showed SWAT officers testing the enclosure in February 2025, part of the evaluation process before the rollout.
"It passed all the standards for what they call ... UL 752 Level 3, which is basically three shots of a .44 Magnum caliber weapon at 15 feet," Taggart said.
SEPTA said buses without bulletproof glass will still be equipped with protective enclosures and emergency exit windows.
Operators already using the upgraded buses said the difference is immediate.
"It just felt more open without the glass because a lot of passengers could come up on the side of the seat without the door and the glass," SEPTA bus driver Eric Smith said. "Now that we got the door and glass, I think it's a lot safer."
Right now, eight buses are being retrofitted at a cost of $10,000 to $20,000 each. SEPTA said it is working with manufacturers to build these protections directly into future buses from the start of production.
SEPTA is also offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in assaults on transit operators.