Riders smacked by doors in new buses

Stand clear of the opening doors!

Rear doors on the new high-tech buses being used along First and Second avenues have been catching straphangers off-guard, as they swing inward to open. The doors have occasionally hit people, especially in crowded buses where people are standing near them, riders said.

“I thought my ankle was going to get caught,” said one rider, Dan Clemente, 34, of the Bronx.

Last year, the MTA paid $71 million for 90 of these three-doors vehicles to use on its “select bus service” routes, where riders pay before they board, such as the M15 and Bx12 lines.

A NYC Transit spokeswoman said that there have been no reports of injuries and that the buses feature announcements and decals to warn riders that the doors move inwards.
 
Before they were put into service earlier this year, the manufacturer added a partition to prevent seated riders from being struck by the doors, she said.

Meanwhile, drivers have been fielding complaints from wheelchair users about the bus ramps being too narrow and steep, with some riders flying down the partitions as they exit, union officials said.

Transit officials said they have gotten only a few complaints about the ramps, which are ADA compliant and much cheaper to maintain than wheelchair lifts used in older buses.