SEPTA is advising bus and trolley customers to expect delays across the system starting on Monday, August 14, as the authority begins safety reinforcement training for all employees. This follows a series of recent accidents involving SEPTA vehicles that resulted in the death of one customer and multiple injuries to other passengers and employees.
The training will emphasize safety guidelines that are in place and provide employees with a forum to give feedback. SEPTA is working jointly with the unions representing employees to develop the content that will be covered in the trainings.
Over the next eight weeks, every member of the SEPTA workforce will spend a full day in this mandatory training. This will impact service as employees are pulled from their regular duties. SEPTA will provide updates on service as the training moves forward.
“The safety for our customers and employees is always our top priority, and we are redoubling our efforts to be even more intentional about safety in everything that we do, at all levels of the Authority,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards in making the announcement. “The recent series of accidents has caused us to look internally with a critical eye to ensure we embrace safety as a core value every day.”
SEPTA will make every effort to minimize the disruption to customers during this training. Customers should expect delays when planning their travel, and check SEPTA’s website for the latest updates.
Service details are also available on the Official SEPTA App, @SEPTA, and customer service representatives are available by phone at (215) 580-7800.
Following these recent incidents, which began when two buses collided on Roosevelt Boulevard on July 21, SEPTA has dispatched safety officers throughout the system to have discussions with employees about safety. These new trainings will emphasize the need to be vigilant about safety in all aspects of all jobs throughout the Authority.
“We will start with our frontline employees and move through our entire workforce,” Richards said. “This commitment to reaching each and every employee means that SEPTA service will be impacted. When we say nothing is more important than safety, we mean it.”
SEPTA is also asking customers to report any unsafe conditions they see on the system through the SEPTA Transit Watch App. This is available as a free download for Apple and Android devices.
