They\u2019re itching for the truth.<\/p>\n
New York State lawmakers are pushing a bill that would force the MTA to tell riders about bed bug infestation on trains and buses within 24 hours.<\/p>\n
The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember William Colton (D-Brooklyn), would set rules to require the MTA to either post a message on its website or send an alert via email or text about any infestation.<\/p>\n
An MTA bus marked for bed bugs lingers in an outdoor lot on West 215 Street in Manhattan. Robert Miller<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MTA \u2013 for no good reason \u2013 has been resistant about alerting its customers when an infestation has been detected,\u201d Colton said in a statement.\u00a0 SeanPavonePhoto \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MTA \u2013 for no good reason \u2013 has been resistant about alerting its customers when an infestation has been detected,\u201d Colton said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cMillions of New Yorkers use our critically important trains and buses regularly,\u201d Colton added. \u201cThey should not have to add \u2018will I bring home bed bugs?\u2019 to their list of concerns as they go about their daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n
A previous version of the bill passed the Assembly but died in the state Senate, according to representatives. The latest legislation made it through the Assembly last month and is now in the hands of the Senate\u2019s Transportation Committee.<\/p>\n
The bedbug legislation is now being considered by the state Senate\u2019s Transportation Committee. ondreicka \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
While the apple seed-sized insects aren\u2019t believed to cause disease, bedbugs feed off human blood and can cause red, itchy welts, according to the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n
The last reported MTA infestation happened in 2018,<\/a> when the transit authority had to take a half-dozen buses out of service in Manhattan.<\/p>\n Though a passenger reportedly found the bugs crawling on a seat, an MTA investigation found no such critter.<\/a><\/p>\n