City of Las Cruces spends $50K for plexiglass to give bus drivers ‘an extra piece of protection’

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - The city of Las Cruces has invested tens of thousands of dollars in plexiglass barriers to protect bus drivers during the pandemic.

“They’re very important," said Mike Bartholomew, a transit administrator for the city. "(It) gives them an extra piece of protection."

Bartholomew told ABC-7 the city purchased the plexiglass shields at a cost of about $1,300 each. In total, the city spent more than $50,000 outfitting 41 buses.

Drivers are also wearing masks and using gloves on their routes.

"We’ve got bus cleaners here every couple of hours," Bartholomew said. "The buses are getting wiped down. So we have a number of protocols we put into place to keep it safe for employees, drivers and passengers."