Rogue city bus drivers are threatening to slow down service by taking several 20-minute breaks at random points along their routes, forcing abandoned passengers to wait for the next bus, sources told The Post.
The plan for disruption — being spread by text messages and e-mails — is part of the Transport Workers Union’s “Day of Outrage” protests over a contract dispute with the MTA.
The messages suggest that if two drivers take breaks at the same time on the same route, they could create a domino effect that would severely disrupt bus schedules.
Officially, the union says it only plans two legal, lunchtime protests today, at the 207th Street subway yard in Manhattan and at the East New York Bus Depot in Brooklyn.
MTA officials said only that they are prepared for whatever happens.
The idea of a by-the-books protest got a boost yesterday from mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, who said that while he opposes any disruption, it would not violate the state Taylor Law that bars strikes and slowdowns by government employees.
“We’ve seen things in the past that have been by-the-books slowdowns, and they haven’t violated the Taylor Law,” said city Comptroller Thompson, who has the TWU’s endorsement.