With equipment failures and calls to slash funding, DART is under more pressure than ever. Are bus drivers the collateral damage?
Current and former DART bus drivers told the Observer about many problems they've faced recently, ranging from unrepaired buses returning to the road to workplace injuries. bus, Sandra Cooper is embarrassed to say she still doesn’t know the streets of Dallas well. She knows major landmarks, like the NorthPark Mall, but street names are tricky for her to recall.powering off mid-ride last year.
Responding to the claims in this article, Jasmyn Carter, director of public relations for DART, emphasized the organization’s commitment to its employees. Carter added that many of the concerns voiced in this article are issues that are covered during the multi-week training divers undergo before hitting the road.
Sometimes the problems with the buses are purely mechanical. Whether or not a bus window can open is a 50/50 bet, Morris said. He’s made do with everything from a bent-out-of-shape steering wheel to dashboards held together by duct tape. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, the agency built clear security shields around the bus operators. Morris estimates 70% were rolled out without latches.
According to Carter, the seats in all of DART’s buses were switched to a vinyl material in 2024 “to ensure cleanliness and minimize the risk of pest exposure.” The buses also undergo daily cleaning and disinfection and routine pest control, she said. Cooper has witnessed the same system of buses being taken in for repair, only to be handed back in what she believes to be a similar condition. She once had a bus blow an air bellows — a tire-like device that acts as a spring to soften the jerkiness of a bus — and was shocked to see the vehicle returned to the fleet less than 24 hours after turning it in because she suspected that not enough time had passed for the problem to be adequately addressed.
“We know how many miles we have to drive and we know how many stops we have to make. And so sometimes, if there is something as simple as putting power steering fluid in a bus, that does not take all day. That may not take long at all,” Carter said. “But the other part is, we are very well aware that our system is old.”Martin was four months into her job as a bus driver in 2023 when she suffered a hand injury that made driving nearly impossible.
Martin was able to pull over for a few minutes to manage her pain, but in the back of her mind, a clock was ticking as she thought about the time frame she was expected to make her stops within. She “got herself together” and managed to drop off her riders before heading back to the driver’s home base. By the time she located a supervisor to report the injury, her hand was hurting “severely.”
A week later, Martin was able to file an injury report with a different supervisor. By that point, her hand and fingers were swollen and in"excruciating pain.” A doctor within the DART workers' compensation network told her she likely had carpal tunnel syndrome. She was given oral medication, but it didn’t work. A few weeks later, a doctor prescribed steroid shots for Miller’s hand, which she describes as “the worst pain ever.
After that experience, Martin attempted to get a job with the Lancaster school district as a bus driver, but she failed the physical exam for the job. After going through an evaluation, she was told her right hand lacked the strength needed to operate a major vehicle.
Over the years, Garcia has lamented to friends and family about her “torn up” shoulders. Eventually, a mutual friend directed her to Regina Stevens. Stevens is a senior workers’ compensation adjuster for a company that handles claims for municipal agencies. While the company does not work with DART directly, her name has been changed in this article because her work overlaps with adjacent agencies.
Equipment isn’t always to blame for the injuries bus drivers sustain. Quintin Baker, a driver for over a decade, was left unable to drive after his bus was rear-ended while parked. Baker was standing in the bus at the time of the accident and suffered a strain to his neck and back. DART approved him for a handful of visits to the physical therapist, and in the meantime, he was off work and being paid a portion of his salary.
“A lot of operators have been assaulted very badly, but when that stuff happen, that's when really wants to start being your friend,” Morris said. “Like that's when you can probably get your vacation day that you put in a request for two months ago.” “I didn't want to dare pick the phone up and get shot, because would know that I pushed the button,” Cooper said. “ work when DART wants them to work. For example, if you have an earbud in, oh, they saw you with the earbud in. But they don't see you when a gun is out or when a knife is out.”
A more recent estimate puts that workforce impact at 5,800 jobs, according to a May news release from DART. While that release does not clarify what roles would be slashed, it does claim services would need to be reduced by 30%,"undermining DART’s ability to prepare for major international events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'DART Killer' Bill Would Immobilize Thousands of DallasitesDART says the bill could affect hundreds of thousands of riders and another 5,800 DART workers.
Read more »
2025 NFL mock draft 5.0: Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart going earlier than expectedIn his final mock draft, FOX Sports' Rob Rang has players at the skill positions flying off the board in the first round.
Read more »
2025 NFL Draft odds: Over/Under draft positions for Jeanty, Dart, moreWhere will the latest CFB stars not named Sanders, Hunter or Ward land in the draft? See the Over/Under draft positions for Jaxson Dart, Ashton Jeanty and others.
Read more »
Jaxson Dart NFL Draft Destinations: Where Experts Are Saying Ole Miss QB Will LandThe former Rebels signal-caller has quite the polarizing draft day projection.
Read more »
Jaxson Dart's superpower isn't obvious, but it might land him in Round 1It's anyone's guess where Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart will land in the draft. But it'll be with a team that recognizes his subtle superpower.
Read more »
2025 NFL mock draft: Ashton Jeanty goes top 5; who trades up for Jaxson Dart?Shedeur Sanders falls out of the top three, while another QB-needy team trades up for Jaxson Dart in Joel Klatt's final mock draft.
Read more »