By Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen, January 15, 2019
As a result of the horrific bus crash at Westboro Station, people are asking if double-decker buses are unsafe. We are missing the bigger point.
Every transit bus on the road has inadequate safety provisions. Public transit is a system that puts riders at risk by design.
Every day in Ottawa, people ride on OC Transpo buses that go barrelling down the Queensway. Those lucky enough to get seats have no seatbelts. Passengers who are forced to stand can grip a strap or a metal rod, if they can reach one. Keeping your balance is a challenge every time a bus swings around a corner. The interior of the bus is full of hard metal surfaces, just waiting to injure a stumbling passenger. And yet car drivers using the same road are protected by mandatory seatbelts and an array of air bags.
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/denley-oc-transpo-crash-all-public-transit-puts-riders-at-risk