Winnipeg council hears chorus of comments on anti-singing bylaw
A Winnipeg city councillor says the public doesn't need to worry about getting a fine for singing on a bus.
Coun. Brian Mayes said the proposed bylaw, is likely to be amended during a city council meeting on Wednesday.
The bylaw, introduced and OK'd last week by the city's executive policy committee (EPC), called for singing or playing a musical instrument on a Winnipeg Transit to be a $100 ticketable offence.
It was immediately mocked and maligned across the country on social media. Others took to the bus in a protest song.
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Mayes said he expects the section about playing a musical instrument or singing to be removed from the proposed bylaw, which also targets other “inappropriate conduct” such as carrying a firearm, not paying bus fare, urinating or spraying graffiti on city buses.
The bylaw also limits the time a person can wait in a bus shelter to 90 minutes.
Council heard from many people on Wednesday, several of whom were transit drivers, urging them to not drop the bylaw altogether.
They spoke about safety and told stories about abuse faced by drivers, including being beaten, threatened and even spit on by passengers.
They were among numerous delegates to speak to council at the start of Wednesday's meeting.
Council will discuss the proposed bylaw when it reaches that part of its agenda in the afternoon.