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Transit driver appreciation day raises awareness about job safety

John Daly, Global News

Today might be a good day to say ‘thank you’ to your bus driver.

It is the Transit Driver Appreciation Day.

Translink says the day was conceived in Seattle in 2009, and the date was chosen because that is the day that bus service is believed to have debuted in Paris, France in 1662.

Translink is offering a number of downloadable bus driver appreciation day cards on their website for transit users to print and sign.

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The event comes on the heels of an unprovoked attack on a female bus driver that left her suffering from physical and emotional injuries.

Three women were arrested and charged with assault, but released from custody and given court dates.

One of the women arrested had 462 “negative police contacts” recorded.

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She was let go to a recovery house, but two of the three alleged attackers could be riding the buses right now.

“Only one of those women was given a no-go to the bus system,” says transit police spokesperson Anne Drennan. “You can see that we can keep one off the system, but the other two still have opportunities to ride the buses.”

There have been 52 incidents involving bus drivers so far this year; 19 are being investigated criminally.

READ MORE: Assaulted bus driver speaks out

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