The NJ Transit Board of Directors has started the process of enacting new regulations to strengthen transit workers’ protections.
The proposed regulations would establish a procedure by which NNJ Transit could administratively suspend ridership privileges for individuals who assault transit employees while also creating a due process for offenders to appeal proposed suspensions.
In January 2022, Governor Phil Murphy signed the Motorbus and Passenger Rail Service Employee Violence Protection Act (VPA). It enables NJ Transit to administratively suspend ridership privileges for up to one calendar year for any individual who assaults an operational employee.
If someone uses a deadly weapon during the commission of an assault, that person may be suspended from the transit system for life.
The proposed regulations would create progressive sanctions (where the length of the suspension would increase with each subsequent offense) and provide due process to individuals facing a suspension. The proposed rules would also set procedures for the creation of a Ridership Appeal Board, when necessary, to review initial determinations made by NJ Transit.
