Yellowknife (Sep 19/03) - Only three weeks on the job, Yellowknife City Transit driver Lorenz Frank has experienced enough attitude, vandalism and drunken louts to last a life time.

"A 65-year-old woman started yelling and swearing at me when she missed her bus stop," Frank said.

It's enough to make him an ardent supporter of proposed changes to the city's transit bylaw that promise more protection for drivers and their passengers.

The bylaw was last revised in 1993 and at Monday's municipal services committee meeting Monday, city councillors agreed that it should define acceptable behaviour on city busses. The proposed changes would ban insulting or profane language, smoking, littering, fighting or interfering with the comfort or convenience of another passenger. Jennifer Roste, public transit manager, said that drivers raised the issue at a meeting this summer.

"Drivers have experienced being spit on and sworn at," she said.

"In any other municipality there would be something in place to protect the drivers and passengers."

Vandalism is an ongoing issue, and so is public drunkenness, Roste said. Frank cited incidents of school children slashing seats. One youth, who he said is a repeat offender, was told to leave the bus after not paying proper fare.

"And there was a man who looked fine but once he was on the bus he was obviously drunk and drooling," he said.

Frank would like the city to replace cash fares with passes and tokens but the proposed changes don't venture into that area. The bylaw revisions may open discussions on fares and development of bus service for the disabled. It goes to city council next Monday.