Muni cracking down on drivers abusing break times

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A report out Tuesday morning says Muni is cracking down on drivers abusing break times, meaning bus drivers who are leaving their bus, with passengers on board, to get a snack.

These are "702 breaks," which Muni drivers can take when they have a personal necessity during their route.

According to The Examiner, the question is whether drivers are taking too many of these breaks.

The Examiner reported in one instance, an operator took a 20-minute break to go to McDonald's while passengers waited on the bus.

SFMTA pulled video to confirm the incident.

The agency says drivers are not allowed to take lunch breaks because they're already paid to work through them.

The union representative for drivers says pulling video of operators taking breaks may be an invasion of their privacy.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency believes a very small fraction of drivers are abusing the policy and that most drivers use the 702 breaks responsibly.

SFMTA says it's compiling lists of drivers who take too many breaks and says it may need to crack down in order to avoid any impact on riders and the rest of the Muni system.