Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
TSA Unveils Plans to Secure Buses
Aired October 19, 2003 - 09:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Since 9/11, the government spent billions of dollars beefing up airline security. But this week the Transportation Safety Administration turned its attention to the ground, unveiling plans to ensure the safety of buses. With a look at some of the changes, our Patty Davis joins us live from Washington. Patty?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this -- Suzanne, I'm on a Greyhound bus right now. In fact, the Transportation Security Administration has given a $20 million in grants to inter-city buses like Greyhound to beef up security post 9/11.
Greyhound is already randomly wanding people, wanding them for to find weapons, that is inside the terminal. Here's what you're going to see on some of the buses. This Plexiglas driver shield, shields the driver from anybody coming at them. Let's close it. You see driver Ed Smith here; he drives out of Washington. Also onboard communications. Why don't you show us what those are?
ED SMITH, BUS DRIVER, GREYHOUND: Yes, ma'am. The red button here is for 911, direct emergency immediate response. The black button here is our emergency operations center.
DAVIS: All right. So some new tools for these Greyhound bus drivers. Soon about 1700 buses will have these Plexiglas shields. 500 will have the on-board communication.
Let's talk to Lynn Brown of Greyhound. Lynn, when do you expect to see this on buses?
LYNN BROWN, GREYHOUND BUS LINES: The grant money is good for a year. So we will finalize these prototype designs and put them on the buses within the next year, the 1700 and the 500.
DAVIS: And do you really think this will stop terrorist activity? The type we have seen in Israel perhaps, if that comes to the U.S., or aggressive people on buses? You had, what, 30 incidents since 9/11.
BROWN: The world changed on September 11th. These measures are designed to give drivers additional measures of security, to let them communicate better, and to give them more time in the case of an incident, whether it is an unruly passenger, whether it's aggressive behavior, or whether it's anything else.
DAVIS: Thanks. Lynn Brown of Greyhound. Now, we also have other buses, also private buses, that are doing things like this as well. But it's not only private buses but public transit. $65 million to city buses across the country to beef up their own security. Transportation Security Administration, though, says there is no specific threat involving the bus system in the U.S., but they say that there was no specific threat involving airlines before 9/11. They say now is the time to put these measures into place. Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Patty Davis in Washington. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 19, 2003 - 09:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Since 9/11, the government spent billions of dollars beefing up airline security. But this week the Transportation Safety Administration turned its attention to the ground, unveiling plans to ensure the safety of buses. With a look at some of the changes, our Patty Davis joins us live from Washington. Patty?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this -- Suzanne, I'm on a Greyhound bus right now. In fact, the Transportation Security Administration has given a $20 million in grants to inter-city buses like Greyhound to beef up security post 9/11.
Greyhound is already randomly wanding people, wanding them for to find weapons, that is inside the terminal. Here's what you're going to see on some of the buses. This Plexiglas driver shield, shields the driver from anybody coming at them. Let's close it. You see driver Ed Smith here; he drives out of Washington. Also onboard communications. Why don't you show us what those are?
ED SMITH, BUS DRIVER, GREYHOUND: Yes, ma'am. The red button here is for 911, direct emergency immediate response. The black button here is our emergency operations center.
DAVIS: All right. So some new tools for these Greyhound bus drivers. Soon about 1700 buses will have these Plexiglas shields. 500 will have the on-board communication.
Let's talk to Lynn Brown of Greyhound. Lynn, when do you expect to see this on buses?
LYNN BROWN, GREYHOUND BUS LINES: The grant money is good for a year. So we will finalize these prototype designs and put them on the buses within the next year, the 1700 and the 500.
DAVIS: And do you really think this will stop terrorist activity? The type we have seen in Israel perhaps, if that comes to the U.S., or aggressive people on buses? You had, what, 30 incidents since 9/11.
BROWN: The world changed on September 11th. These measures are designed to give drivers additional measures of security, to let them communicate better, and to give them more time in the case of an incident, whether it is an unruly passenger, whether it's aggressive behavior, or whether it's anything else.
DAVIS: Thanks. Lynn Brown of Greyhound. Now, we also have other buses, also private buses, that are doing things like this as well. But it's not only private buses but public transit. $65 million to city buses across the country to beef up their own security. Transportation Security Administration, though, says there is no specific threat involving the bus system in the U.S., but they say that there was no specific threat involving airlines before 9/11. They say now is the time to put these measures into place. Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Patty Davis in Washington. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
