On Friday morning, no buses were seen at the Rosa Parks Transit Center, which typically is a busy hub for city buses and passengers. A recording on a DDOT customer service line said the department "sincerely apologizes for extreme delays in service." (Photo by HB Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)

Mayor, Union come to agreement,  Detroit bus service to resume

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) - Mayor Dave Bing, was joined by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), and Detroit Police Department officials announce an agreement that will end today's bus driver work stoppage. Early this morning about 100 DDOT bus drivers staged a wildcat strike, the day after a driver was beaten by two teen-aged passengers.

During the Friday afternoon press conference held at the Rosa Parks transit center in downtown Detroit, Mayor Bing said, "There will be a zero tolerance for negative behavior toward our bus drivers. We are not going to allow these hooligans to threaten our city."

As part of the new security measures Detroit Police will randomly pull buses over citywide for inspections and beef up enforcement at the downtown transit center and elsewhere in an effort to guard against people who mistreat or attack city bus drivers and passengers.

Henry Gaffney, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26 that represents drivers, told a local radio station that the drivers' action wasn't organized by the union. Rather by the bus drivers themselves who feared for their safety following Thursday's altercation.

WDIV-TV broadcast video of the altercation it said was submitted by a viewer and shows a driver backing away from several people. Police are investigating the attack. However the two suspects have yet to be arrested.

"Our drivers are scared, they're scared for their lives," Gaffney said. "This has been an ongoing situation about security. I think yesterday kind of just topped it off, when one of my drivers was beat up by some teenagers ... and it took the police almost 30 minutes to get there."

On Friday morning, no buses were seen at the Rosa Parks Transit Center, which typically is a busy hub for city buses and passengers. A recording on a DDOT customer service line said the department "sincerely apologizes for extreme delays in service."

The Detroit Public Schools sent an alert on Friday morning warning parents to arrange for other transportation for students who rely on city buses. Yellow school buses weren't affected, the district said, and school police planned to provide additional security at some bus stops.