The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced it will retrain its bus operators following a viral incident in which two horses boarded a city bus on Saturday. Department officials stated that while the animals were brought on board to raise awareness for an unidentified positive cause, the act violated transit policy and raised safety concerns for passengers and the animals.
The incident occurred on Seven Mile Road and was captured in a video that has since circulated widely on social media. According to the footage and DDOT, the bus driver lowered the wheelchair ramp to allow the two people and two horses to enter the vehicle after a brief conversation between a person outside and someone on the bus.
DDOT reviewed both social media posts and onboard camera footage to investigate the encounter. In an official statement, the department clarified that while it welcomes service animals that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, these horses did not appear to be serving in that capacity. Current department policy requires all animals on board to be service animals, which must remain on the floor or in a passenger's lap.
The scale of the impact on city operations involves the time and resources allocated for staff retraining and the potential for increased scrutiny of wheelchair ramp usage for non-medical purposes. DDOT stated that the episode serves as an opportunity to educate the city's residents about transit safety and quality standards. For local organizers or business owners, the City of Detroit noted it offers separate programs to increase organizational awareness safely, rather than through unauthorized transit use.
What happens next involves the implementation of the retraining program for DDOT staff. The department did not provide a specific start date for the training or a deadline for completion. Additionally, while the city expressed a willingness to help the entrepreneurs involved in the video connect with official programs to expand their impact, no specific court dates or legal actions against the individuals were reported. DDOT has not specified if any disciplinary action was taken against the driver involved.