Certain federally funded buses would need enclosed driver workstations

Covered buses would need floor-to-ceiling barriers capable of fully enclosing the driver’s area, blocking unwanted entry by people, fluids, and objects, and preserving the driver’s view outside. The requirement would cover new buses on fixed routes bought with covered federal funds, measuring at least 30 feet and having a useful life of at least 10 years. Federal funds from section 5311 are excluded. A transit provider could avoid the requirement by certifying that the union representing the largest share of its frontline workforce, or its contractor’s, agreed to waive it for that bus. The requirement would begin two years after enactment.