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Byford On Attacked MTA Bus, Subway Workers: 'They're Just Trying To Do Their Jobs'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - It was a solidarity ride, Transit Authority President Andy Byford riding the rails, serving notice on New Yorkers that the recent uptick in attacks on conductors and transit workers will not be tolerated.

They drive the trains and fear for their lives.

"Are you at all worried about the assaults on transit employees," CBS2's Marcia Kramer asked an MTA conductor.

"Very worried," they replied.

"Have you ever been assaulted?"

"No," the conductor replied.

"Know people who have been?"

"Yes."

"Are your worried when you go to work that somebody could hit you?" Kramer asked another transit worker.

"I worry all the time, it's a definite possibility," that conductor said.

In the past few weeks, transit workers have been punched, sprayed, and assaulted simply for doing their jobs.

In October and November there were 32 incidents of workplace violence against transit workers.

Two weeks ago, an angry driver smashed the window of an M-5 bus. The broken glass send two employees to the hospital. Less than 30 minutes later a conductor was punched in the face in the cab of an A-train at 125th Street.

On Thursday, Byford rode in the conductor's cab of an R-train.

"I want to show solidarity with my conductors. Quite simply in the last few weeks there's been a relentless completely unacceptable onslaught of assaults on conductors," Byford said.

"People just doing their jobs… They're having bottles thrown at them, they're being spat at, they're being punched, it's completely unacceptable."

If riders were wondering about the man making the train announcements, the English accent might have been a tell.

"Good morning everyone this is a Brooklyn-bound R service, we are now arriving at Whitehall Street change here for the Staten Island Ferry," Byford announced while making a stop.

The Transit Authority president had a message for New Yorkers who think they can lash out at his workers and get away with it.

"I'm determined that we will put a stop to this tidal wave of assaults by working with NYPD… You're not going to get away with that, we're going to bring you to justice," Byford said.

"How do you protect them? When I talked to some of the people on the trains that were running the trains, they said we need more cops," Kramer asked Byford.

"The good news is that's exactly what we're getting," the transit chief replied.

The MTA has allocate about $250 million to hire more cops. Advocacy groups want the spent not on cops, but improving midday and weekend service.

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