Many students at Cardozo rely heavily on public transportation to commute to and from school every single day. Whether it’s taking the bus or subway to school, visiting friends, or simply exploring the city in their free time, public transit has become an essential part of their daily routines. For many teens, buses are not just a way to get places, they’re a place where students meet and socialize with their friends.
Despite its convenience, there have been many recent safety concerns surrounding public transportation in New York City.. Parents, students, and staff have begun to question how safe the buses and trains really are, especially as more and more dangerous events and tragedies appear in the news.
On Oct. 13, a bus crash took place in Flushing, near Bowne Street and Sandford Avenue. The incident took place at 8:30 a.m. on a Monday morning, when many students were commuting to school. .
The two Q27 buses collided due to what was later declared a mechanical issue with the brakes of one of the buses. When the brakes failed, one of the buses rear-ended the other, causing the bus to be forced into incoming traffic. This crash ended up injuring 19 people and hospitalizing 14 of them, including both passengers and the driver.
Not only did the crash injure many people, but it also caused even more chaos. Several other bus routes, such as the Q13, Q26, Q27, and Q65, experienced major delays. The crash also sparked conversation about how well the city maintains its public buses and whether or not there are enough safety checks in place to prevent accidents from happening again.
Students who frequently take the bus are starting to feel anxious about their wellbeing while on public transport.
Soma Samal, a student at Cardozo who takes the bus every day, said that the buses are often crowded and face delays due to many different factors, such as traffic or prior incidents.
Samal added that the crowded state of the bus is intimidating and can lead to possible issues. Although she had not heard about the bus crash that occurred in Flushing, once she did, it made her nervous. She questioned her safety while on these buses and believes that buses should have routine safety checks to ensure that they are up to date and in good shape,
This incident comes only several weeks after a 23-year-old refugee from Ukraine was fatally stabbed on a train in public. Incidents like these have been raising concerns about how safe public transportation is, leaving people nervous and afraid. It shows how vulnerable passengers are at any time, as anyone could step onto public transport with dangerous intent.
While public transportation is convenient and relatively cheap for students and people, it also poses many possible safety risks that lead people to be hesitant about taking buses.
