Queensland bus drivers, union call for tougher penalties as attacks continue
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Bus drivers want assaults on them to be treated as seriously as those on health and emergency workers, with the union representing them claiming dozens of attacks have already been recorded in the first few weeks of the year.
Key points:
- Queensland Government review into bus driver safety still ongoing, report due in March
- Rail, Tram and Bus Union want interim measures put in place immediately
- It could be months after report is released for recommendations to be implemented
Their call follows the release of two videos exclusively to the ABC showing recent assaults on Queensland bus drivers.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union assistant state secretary Tom Brown said they were just a sample of what had already occurred so far in 2017.
"Enough is enough," Mr Brown said.
"Everybody has the right to be protected and safe at work and go home at night to their family."
In Queensland, employees working on the front line in health and emergency have been given increased safety procedures, penalties for assaulting them are tougher and an awareness campaign was launched to help protect them.
Mr Brown said the same measures should be in place for bus drivers.
"We don't want another tragedy, we want action now," Mr Brown said.
'Our bus driver has just been punched in the face'
One of the videos shared with the ABC shows a teenager lashing out at a driver.
"He swings at the driver, you hear the driver's head probably hitting the bulkhead," Mr Brown said.
Despite protests from frightened passengers, the teenage attacker then hurled verbal abuse at the driver.
One passenger can be heard calling police.
"Hello, our bus driver has just been punched in the face," she said.
Mr Brown said the next driver was not warned there had been an attack.
"I was just horrified," he said.
The teenager has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.
A second, grainy video shows an assault which happened a week earlier.
A witness said the driver was helping a young mother with a pram and a woman in a wheelchair when the incident occurred.
"As he was pulling the ramp down the youth came at him and took a punch at him," she said.
Shocked, she managed to film the end of the altercation as the angry driver pushed the man away.
"He kept yelling and swearing and abusing the driver, there was no one really around to come to the help of the bus driver," she said.
Police have yet to make an arrest over the incident.
'It's simple justice and protection'
In September, the State Government said 350 bus drivers were assaulted in Queensland in just six months.
A review was announced in a bid to make drivers and passengers safer.
But only four weeks later, Brisbane bus driver Manmeet Alisher was killed when he was set alight as he stopped to pick up passengers.
The report is due in March but the union said it might be months before recommendations were implemented and drivers wanted action now.
The unions are stepping up their campaign, calling on the Queensland and local governments to act.
They have vowed to be at every court case in relation to an assault on a driver, until drivers and passengers are protected.
The State Government insists safety measures are already in place but it will consider any recommended changes.
For those behind the wheel, frustration is building as the attacks continue.
"We were led to believe that there would be interim measures put in place between now and the review recommendations, but we see nothing," Mr Brown said.
"It's not rocket science, it's simple justice and protection."
Topics: assault, crime, law-crime-and-justice, unions, government-and-politics, brisbane-4000, qld
