Ottawa bus drivers are vehemently against allowing pets on public transit, the union representing the drivers says.

"We're concerned about the health and safety of our drivers and the bus is our workplace," said André Cornellier, head of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

André Sabourin is among the bus drivers staunchly against a proposal to allow caged pets on buses as part of a pilot program that will go to the city's transit committee next month.

Sabourin, who has been driving an OC Transpo bus for 19 years, said he is allergic to long-haired cats. He doesn't want to have a sneezing fit while he's driving his bus, he said.

"If I lose control, who's going to be held responsible?" he asked.

Cornellier said that aside from allergies, the union is also worried about what could happen if a pet escapes its cage.

He said federal legislation allows drivers to refuse unhealthy or unsafe working conditions, and that could mean refusing to let a passenger with a pet board the bus or refusing to drive any further.

Candice O'Connell, a spokeswoman for Responsible Pet Owners of Canada, the group that is pushing for the pilot project, said drivers' concerns are based on misinformation.

She said she wants to explain to them "how these issues may not be as much of a concern as they think."

About 25 cities in Canada allow small pets in cages on buses during off-peak hours.