The Greater Richmond Transit Company, or GRTC, was incorporated in 1973; its roots go all the way back to 1860. With more than 300 operators serving the greater Richmond area, safety is paramount.
Each operator receives from six to ten weeks of training, depending upon their experience, including classroom, behind-the-wheel, and simulator training. The authority has been utilizing simulator training for more than a decade; however, their newest simulator allows them to train on more advanced scenarios than ever before.
“It simulates different things they will come up with when they are actually out on the street,” said GRTC Director of Safety and Security Anthony Carter. “It gives you that real-life event, you’re not going to be able to be on the street all the time through training and get everything, and this gives us the advantage of being able to put together scenarios you go through when on the street – turning, sharp turns, things of that nature.”
The new simulator allows them to develop interactive scenarios to train drivers on how to respond.
“We want to put them in the simulator,” said Carter. “And create those situations to see how they are going to react – how they de-escalate has been an integral part of training because we preach de-escalation.”
Each use of the simulator is recorded so that trainers can play back the events with the operator to review what went right and where improvements can be made. Learn more about the simulator and how it supports GRTC’s safety goals in the video below.