A driver was bashed at a bus stop on Cameron Rd in Gate Pa. Photo / Google Maps
A driver was bashed at a bus stop on Cameron Rd in Gate Pa. Photo / Google Maps
A traumatised Tauranga bus driver is recovering from a head injury after he was violently attacked by a teenager at a city bus stop.
The incident is the latest in a spate of abuse and threats from groups of young people targeting bus drivers and passengers at local bus shelters.
Youths have been arrested for carrying weapons such as a homemade taser, and there have been reports of street brawls, underage drinking and vandalism. The anti-social behaviour prompted bus drivers to boycott three main bus stops if youth were gathered.
Last Friday, the driver was transporting passengers along Cameron Rd when he stopped outside the Gate Pa Shopping Centre and a youth boarded without a facemask.
First Union organiser Graham McKean said the driver, who the Bay of Plenty Times agreed not to identify, asked the youth to put a facemask on.
The youth refused and began firing racial abuse at the driver, refusing to get off.
The driver turned the bus engine off to wait for the youth to either put on a mask or leave.
"He ran up, spat in the driver's face then the driver pushed back and he punched the driver in the face over three times. That driver's off now with a concussion and emotional trauma," McKean said.
The youth - believed to be from one of the trouble-making groups - fled while the driver notified his communications centre and police were called. Another bus was arranged to pick up the driver's passengers while he was taken to Tauranga Hospital.
McKean said he was helping the driver with ACC forms and other formalities. The driver was a "new New Zealander" and English was his second language.
The incident was a "significant escalation" of the violence and aggression towards Tauranga bus drivers in recent months.
"He took a number of punches to the face."
First Union organiser Graham McKean. Photo / Andrew Warner
The same driver was previously subjected to racial abuse by a group of young people who forced their way onboard and smashed the rear view mirror of his bus, leaving the driver stranded and emotionally distraught.
He said the driver had become a shadow of his former self.
"He has been a genial, happy fellow, well-liked among his driver fraternity. As this is now the second incident that he's had to go through, he's become withdrawn. He's become quite introverted and hesitant to engage with people.
"It's really had quite a significant effect on his view of New Zealand, personal safety and how he can best look after his family."
The driver was considering his options and whether he would stay on as a bus driver.
"He's a new New Zealander who has come over here to improve his life with his family as New Zealanders are known for warmth and friendliness. He's just trying to supply a service to people.
"It has really hit him with quite some magnitude."
McKean said drivers were "on eggshells" waiting for the next incident.
McKean said there had been proactive work from stakeholders such as the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which, from today, has restricted its 24/7 free student fares to weekday school commuting hours only.
However, McKean felt the solution required digging deeper into the issue of inequality in society.
"People who are disenfranchised from the general public, getting no community support and feeling justified in carrying out these cowardly attacks - that's where we need to look and ask 'what's happening here?'.
"It's like a tsunami of anti-social behaviour that's taken out on bus drivers. They are easy targets."
NZ Bus chief operating officer Jay Zmijewski said the driver was immediately supported by local management and offered counselling.
Zmijewski said the company supported calls for a multi-agency approach to dealing with both social and criminal issues affecting bus operations.
"Attacks on bus drivers are distressing to all staff involved, including the drivers, support staff and management."
At a regional council meeting on May 18, the council decided to restrict the 24/7 free fares for school-aged children back to peak commute hours after the policy was said to be enabling bad behaviour.
Regional council chairman Doug Leeder told the Bay of Plenty Times he congratulated the police for taking "swift and appropriate action" following the driver's assault.
"It just goes to show the position Bay of Plenty Regional Council took, as unfortunate as it is to all those law-abiding students who travel for free on buses, needs to be put in place and we will review it at the appropriate time to see if behaviour changes."
