Auckland bus attack: First Union defends driver against Minister of Transport Simeon Brown

A union has leapt to the defence of an Auckland bus driver who was criticised today by the Transport Minister for alleged inaction during a racially-motivated attack on a 16-year-old passenger.

First Union says comments about the driver by Simeon Brown were unfair as drivers are not trained like police officers to intervene in violent incidents involving weapons that could escalate and put themselves at risk of harm.

The incident happened last Friday when the Auckland schoolboy was attacked by a woman wielding a metal pole. She damaged five of the boy’s teeth as she yelled racial slurs at him. She has not yet been caught.

Brown met the victim and his parents this morning, where he told the Herald he was seeking advice on whether the driver followed proper procedure during the incident. Brown said, “It seems ... the bus driver’s priority was continuing his route”.

But First Union general secretary Dennis Maga said Brown’s comments amounted to “cast[ing] aspersions on the bus driver” and said the minister lacked understanding of the incident and the wider problem of violence on public transport.

Maga said the union would advise drivers not to intervene in violent incidents on their buses where there was a possibility the situation could escalate and see more harm done.

“They’re bus drivers, not police officers,” Maga said.

“They’re neither paid nor trained appropriately to physically intervene against aggressors carrying weapons and potentially compromise their own safety in the workplace.

“As a union, our advice to drivers is not to intervene in incidents of violence on buses where there is a possibility of escalation and further harm to the driver or other passengers.

“However, the sight of Minister Simeon Brown popping up from behind his desk to cast aspersions on the bus driver without any real knowledge or understanding of the sector or the incident is frustrating and unnecessary.”

Schoolboy Jason had three teeth knocked out and a further two teeth damaged after he was randomly attacked on the bus in Auckland.

Maga further said the union and bus drivers had asked the Government and Auckland Transport (AT) to take urgent action to prevent crime on the city’s public transport.

“We’ve repeatedly urged AT and the minister to take action against the growing problem of violence on our city’s public transportation by adding more security at busy stops and on buses where repeated incidents of violence are occurring,” he said.

“[Brown’s] Government and ministry have been repeatedly warned that violence on Auckland’s public transport is getting worse and greater security is needed, but as usual, they’re only interested in reacting to the crime rather than actually preventing it from happening in the first place.

“It’s particularly galling to hear these comments from a government that hastily cancelled a Fair Pay Agreement for bus drivers, which was a tripartite framework for drivers, councils and bus operators to work collaboratively in addressing systemic safety issues on our public transport networks.”

Brown responded to Maga’s comments, saying the Government was committed to improving the safety of bus drivers. He pointed to $15 million set aside in Budget 2024 to support increased safety and working conditions for drivers.

Dennis Maga, First Union general secretary, says Brown’s comments amounted to 'cast[ing] aspersions on the bus driver' and says the minister lacked understanding of the incident and the wider problem of violence on public transport. Photo / Myles Thomas

Brown said he had asked his Ministry of Transport and the New Zealand Transport Agency to work with AT to ensure all processes were followed when Friday morning’s attack happened.

“I was appalled by this unprovoked attack on a young student who was simply catching a bus. All Kiwis deserve to feel safe while using public transport,” he said.

An AT spokesperson earlier said they were unable to comment on the matter because it was an “ongoing police investigation”.

Sixteen-year-old Jason was the victim.

“I was just listening to music, scrolling my phone, and then it happened. She just stood up and hit me,” he told the Herald.

National MPs Simeon Brown (second left) and Nancy Lu (left) met with the 16-year-old schoolboy, Jason (right), who was attacked on an Auckland bus on Friday. Photo / Michael Craig

The Chinese-New Zealander has lived in the country for seven years, almost half his life, and said this was the first time he had experienced a racially motivated attack.

This morning, Jason said: “I feel very fearful when I step on the bus [now], but I have to bus every day.”

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant James Mapp said an unknown woman boarded the bus before assaulting the victim with an object.

“This was an unprovoked assault, which left the victim with serious facial injuries.

“We understand the fear and concern events like this inflict on the community and we will continue to pursue every lead to hold this person to account.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident can contact police on 105 and quote file number 240628/8342, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.