Brisbane City Council bus driver assaulted at South Bank

Footage has emerged of a bus driver being attacked on public transport in Brisbane, as the city’s Lord mayor slammed the unacceptable incident.

Footage has emerged of a bus driver being attacked on public transport in Brisbane, as the Bus Union share their concerns for the safety of their drivers.

The footage which was shared to social media shows the bus driver getting punched by a man multiple times, before he comes back for a final punch as many onlookers watch on.

The incident happened just after 6pm on Friday near South Bank.

Rail Tram and Bus Union state secretary Tom Brown said the incident was deeply concerning.

“We’re sickened by the footage of the incident, and our concern is for the well-being of the driver at this point in time,” he said.

A Brisbane City Council bus driver has allegedly been assaulted by a passenger at South Bank. Picture: Luke Goldfish

“ I know that he’s been to the doctor, and I know that he is off work for the next week, but we will just wait and see how he has actually pulled up from the incident, what injuries he actually has at this point in time.”

Mr Brown said he was concerned how quickly people were prepared to resort to violence.

“There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground, it goes from zero to extreme violence in an instant,” he said.

“We really thought, and we really hoped that the 50 cent fares would see a decrease in the violence, but it really hasn’t.

“The level of violence has been sustained, just how quickly people resort to the violence is a worrying factor.”

He said the drivers don’t see it coming.

“They are trying to de-escalate or have a conversation about something and bang, the fists are flying,” he said.

“We are seeing an uptake in spitting and that concerns us, because it takes several months to be tested for the results of the tests that come through against any saliva borne diseases like hep B and Hep C.”

Brisbane City Council has reported the incident to police and offered the driver support.

Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport Andrew Wines said one assault on a bus driver was one too many.

“We want our bus drivers to feel safe at work,” he said.

“Anti-social behaviour is fast becoming a societal issue, and it’s becoming more noticeable on our streets, in our shopping centres and sadly on our public transport.

“Brisbane City Council has installed CCTV and emergency buttons, anti-shatter windows and bus driver safety barriers on every single bus.

“Safety is our priority, and we will continue to invest in safety measures to support our bus team, both on and off the bus.”

Adrian Schrinner Lord Mayor. Photo Steve Pohlner

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said on social media that the behaviour was deeply disturbing and had no place in the city.

“No one deserves to face violence in their workplace, especially from a single individual whose reckless actions endangered the safety of everyone on board,” he said.

“My thoughts are with the bus driver who was subjected to this appalling and completely unacceptable attack while simply doing his job.

“Brisbane is a friendly city, a city where people of all beliefs, cultures and backgrounds live together harmoniously and a city where everyone deserves to feel safe.

“While we have strong safety protections for our bus drivers, we shouldn’t need them which is why we continue to stand up for Brisbane against crime to keep our community safe.”

The Courier Mail can reveal a second unrelated incident involving a knife occurred on the bus network. Police are investigating both incidents.