DETROIT, Mich. — The Detroit Department of Transportation says all bus drivers will receive additional training after two horses were allowed to board one of their buses in an incident that went viral on social media.
In an updated statement, DDOT officials say they reviewed social media posts and onboard camera footage from the incident. DDOT acknowledged the incident raised safety concerns for both passengers and the horses.
Watch the now-viral incident in Ruta Ulcinaite's previous report below:
You can read the full statement from DDOT below:
"We have reviewed the social media and related DDOT onboard camera footage. While DDOT welcomes service animals to ride the bus when they meet the requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it appears that these horses were brought on the bus for other reasons.
We recognize that the actions in the video were meant to draw awareness to a positive cause. And we also acknowledge that this presented safety concerns for other passengers on public transit and for the horses themselves.
This is an opportunity to retrain DDOT bus operators and to educate our Detroit residents on everything that we are doing to guarantee safe, timely and high-quality service through DDOT.
The City of Detroit also stands ready to assist our local entrepreneurs by connecting them with programs and opportunities that safely increase awareness of their organizations, and helps them expand their positive impact on our City."
When asked whether the driver involved faced disciplinary action, DDOT said it typically does not comment on personnel matters but confirmed only that the driver had been "spoken to."
The department also confirmed that all bus drivers will receive additional training to ensure they understand DDOT policies.
The incident gained widespread attention after video showed two horses being led onto a DDOT bus in Detroit. Jordan Williams, co-founder of Urban City Cowboys, previously told 7 News Detroit he brought the horses onto the bus as a way to draw attention to Black cowboys and urban equestrians.
Williams said he hoped the city would understand the gesture was intended to be lighthearted and help promote his organization’s work.
