TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) said it will work with the area's public transit operator's union to get driver safety barriers installed on all HART buses and HARTFlex vans.

The agency announced the upcoming installation in a media release Thursday.

HART and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1593 came to a mutual agreement on a custom-fit protective barrier with extended tempered glass to cover the bus operator space.

"The safety and security of our employees remains a priority at HART as they serve our customers with the highest level of professionalism," said HART CEO Ben Limmer in the release.

The decision comes weeks after a HART bus driver was stabbed to death by a passenger last month. Since then, bus drivers across the Bay area have called for regional transit agencies like HART and PSTA, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, to improve bus driver safety.

"Following the senseless passing of one of our own, we voiced our concerns, and would like to thank HART leadership for listening to us," said ATU International Vice President Curtis Howard. "We are working together to take immediate action to ensure that our operator-members are safe and that a tragedy like that never happens again."

HART said they've allocated $1 million towards the driver safety project. Each barrier's cost is estimated at $5,000, according to the agency.