Verbal and physical attacks on Brisbane bus drivers rise

Attacks on Brisbane bus drivers have risen 40 per cent this year, and the latest shock attack shows how offenders are circumventing security measures.

VERBAL and physical attacks on Brisbane bus drivers have risen by 41 per cent this year, despite $1.3 million expenditure on increased safety measures.

The Courier-Mail can reveal drivers endured 378 incidents of abuse or assault from January to July this year, up from 268 in the same period in 2018.

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Serious physical contacts, like strikes and pushes, nearly doubled from seven last year to 13 this year, while swearing, derogatory comments and obscene gestures rose to 278 from 168.

Brisbane City Council allocated $1.3 million on bus safety measures in the June 2018 budget on top of other upgrades which began in July 2017.

Drivers endured 378 abuses or assaults from January to July this year.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union Queensland secretary Tom Brown said newly installed partial bus barriers were not deterring attacks and Brisbane City Council needed to install full encapsulation barriers.

He also called for more security guards, including senior network officers, which can only be provided by the state government, and a focus on tackling fare evasion.

“Politicians really have to take this problem more seriously; the state and city council need to take this more seriously,” he said.

“The latest assault was they had a flammable aerosol sprayed at the driver, he (the offender) simply put his hand at the top of the screen and sprayed it at the driver’s face.”

Brisbane City Council public transport boss Krista Adams has called on the State Government to provide more senior network officers.

Brisbane City Council public transport chairwoman Krista Adams said one assault on a bus driver was too many.

“Brisbane City Council takes the safety of bus drivers very seriously, and it is absolutely deplorable that anyone would want to abuse our drivers for doing their job by providing an essential public service,” she said.

She repeated council’s call on the State Government to provide more Senior Network Officers to keep bus drivers safe.

An earlier council trial of bus safety barriers found full encapsulation barriers presented safety issues and were expensive to retrofit into the fleet.

A TransLink spokeswoman said it was currently hiring up to 20 more senior network officers to patrol across the southeast Queensland network.

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She said it was “well underway with rolling out a five-point safety package for bus drivers statewide” which included a 50-50 funding split with operators to install safety barriers.

“This comprehensive plan will tackle unacceptable violence against bus drivers, with long-term benefits for both public transport staff and passengers,” she said.

Labor public transport spokesman Jared Cassidy said it was clear the measures “aren’t working to keep drivers safe” and “both levels of government need to do more”.

“Yes, TransLink as the service provider has a responsibility but we’re running 1200 buses and employing 2500 bus drivers, we owe it to them to provide a safe work environment,” he said.

BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL BUS DRIVER ABUSE/ASSAULT DATA

Moderate verbal abuse (derogatory remarks, swearing, obscene gestures)

Jan-Jul 2018: 168

Jan-Jul 2019: 278

Extreme verbal abuse (shouting, screaming at driver, punching bus)

Jan-Jul 2018: 54

Jan-Jul 2019: 55

Spitting

Jan-Jul 2018: 20

Jan-Jul 2019 14

Physical contact (striking and pushing)

Jan-Jul 2019: 13

Physical contact (low grade touching)

Jan-Jul 2018: 6

Jan-Jul 2019: 2

Object thrown

Jan-Jul 2018: 1

Jan-Jul 2019: 3

Theft

Jan-Jul 2018: 12

Jan-Jul 2019: 13