Video footage captured a woman yelling, pushing and spitting at Asian Kiwi passengers during a tirade last Monday evening.
A witness to the incident was shocked at the level of racism and believed it was no longer safe to catch the bus in Auckland.
Today, Inspector Grant Tetzlaff said beat police visited an address in the central city this morning and arrested a woman after an investigation into a “hate-motivated crime”.
Police charged the woman with disorderly behaviour and assault. She was due to go before the Auckland District Court “at a later date”, Tetzlaff said.
He thanked those members of the public who offered police information on the incident.
“The alleged behaviour of this woman will not be tolerated, and commuters should be able to utilise public transport without experiencing it,” Tetzlaff said.
“I would also like to acknowledge Auckland Transport and Howick and Eastern Buses, who worked with us to help bring about this result so quickly.”
Tetzlaff said police could not comment while the matter was before the courts.
Second racist attack on Auckland buses in as many months
The incident happened on a No 70 bus near Auckland City Hospital in Grafton. The witness told the Herald the alleged assailant appeared to have taken exception with the number of Asian people on the bus.
Last Monday's incident comes after a 39-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly beating a Chinese-New Zealand schoolboy with a metal rod on a bus in Pakuranga last month, which police have called a hate-motivated crime.
The witness to last Monday’s incident said she kept quiet, unsure whether the alleged offender was armed.
“It is really unsafe now. I hardly take public transport anymore. It’s only getting worse,” the witness said.
The incident began with the allegedly abusive woman counting as passengers got onto the bus outside the University of Auckland. The witness initially did not understand what the woman was doing.
“I was thinking, ‘Why is she counting?’, then when I was sitting down she got up to 11 and she said, ‘There’s too many f***ing Asians here’. She was swearing and everything, and she’s like, ‘Go back to your country’.
“I’ve lived here for 36 years and... I’ve known people to make comments that are a little bit racist, but not like that.
Still image taken from video showing racist, violent rant on Auckland bus route 70 on Park Rd, Grafton.
“I know it has happened before, but it’s just going to get worse if nothing is done,” she said.
She wanted security guards posted on buses to ensure similar incidents did not occur.
She also questioned whether court sentences for racially and physically abusive offenders were strict enough.
Auckland Transport (AT) said it was aware of the incident and was investigating. AT’s group manager of public transport operations Rachel Cara said: “People have a right to travel on our network without being subjected to this type of unacceptable behaviour.”
Cara said buses were fitted with security cameras, GPS and panic buttons that could record sound which were connected directly to bus depots.
Depots alerted to distress “can quickly respond/guide emergency services to intervene”, Cara said.
“We continue to work closely with police, other agencies and communities to improve safety on public transport,” Cara said.
“Fortunately, most public transport customers are respectful of others, but these isolated incidents are concerning. Our busy public transport network moves hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders, and we operate over 13,500 bus trips each day.
“We encourage customers to let us know anything they observe or experience on the public transport network. They can contact us anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 4030, or via the AT website or contact centre.”
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
