Qld bus crime: Drivers say kids, druggos running wild
Kids and druggos are vandalising buses and abusing drivers amid rampant fare evasion according to former staff.
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Former bus drivers say the job has been made a nightmare by juveniles and drug-addled passengers who believe they will face no consequences for their actions.
The ex employees said fare evasion was also rife on the Gold Coast, with drivers powerless to do anything about it.
Their comments come in the wake of the recent assault of a Kinetic bus driver in Mudgeeraba on May 9. The driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries including a fractured ankle after confronting a group of teenagers who allegedly graffitied back seats in his bus and attempted to open the engine compartment.
Boys aged 14, 15 and 17 have since been charged in relation to the incident. The driver spent a number of days in hospital before being released and is continuing his recovery at home.
“The kids have just got no fear of anything these days,” one former driver said.
“They just think they’ve got no consequences because they just keep getting away with this crap all the time. They are just not held accountable for anything. That’s the scary thing.
“(For them), it’s just all about each kid big-noting themselves, going ‘oh yeah, I slapped the driver’ or something and then jumping off the bus and taking off. And kids filming it and posting it.”
Among the behaviour encountered by drivers was juveniles kicking out the ceiling hatches on buses.
“They kick the roof hatches out, and that’s just during the middle of the day,” another former driver said.
“Drivers come back from their lunch break. The buses are hot, because you can’t keep the bus running during your lunch break. And the kids get on and they say ‘oh, it’s bloody hot in here’ and they just punch the roof hatches and half the time they punch them clean out.
You’re talking like 13, 14-year-old kids.”
It was claimed that police were being called to assist bus drivers almost every single day on the Gold Coast, with drug-affected passengers also a serious problem.
“There’s so many people on drugs these days on the Gold Coast. It’s just madness,” a driver said.
Speaking before Premier Steven Miles announced fares across Queensland would be dropped to 50 cents from August 5, drivers also claimed that fare evasion was rampant – and not just confined to young people aware that they could not be turned away because of the tragic events around the murder of Daniel Morcombe in 2003.
In March this year a 24-year-old woman pleaded guilty to charges after punching and spitting on a driver who confronted her for not paying her fare in Paradise Point The woman also punched an 85-year-old woman who tried to intervene.
“The fare evasion is just everywhere on the Coast these days. The kids don’t do it (pay), so then everybody doesn’t want to pay fares,” they said.
“You get normal people, seeing the kids getting on without paying fares, saying ‘well the kids aren’t paying fares, why should we pay fares?’
“And they’re getting on and they’ve got McDonald’s and everything. So they do have money, they just don’t want to spend it on the bus.”
Josh Millroy, who is director of organising for the Transport Worker’s Union (TWU), said more needed to be done to ensure driver safety.
“The Transport Workers’ Union is appalled at the recent attacks on our Queensland bus drivers,” he said.
“For years, the TWU has led a campaign calling on TransLink and the state government to keep our bus drivers safe. We’ve consistently campaigned for more network officers on bus routes and safety upgrades in buses such as full security barriers for drivers.”
The security barriers, which effectively provide an enclosed cab for drivers, have begun to be rolled out on the Gold Coast following a $61 million investment from the state government. However Mr Millroy said it wasn’t happening fast enough.
“While we’re glad the rollout of these safety barriers has begun, we’re calling on the government and TransLink to speed up this process, in an attempt to limit future attacks on our drivers,” he said.
“These workers are on the frontline, providing a vital community service for the people of Queensland. TransLink needs to treat these drivers with the respect they deserve.
“ … We need more network officers and comprehensive safety upgrades now. TransLink can’t continue to sit on their hands while more and more bus drivers are seriously assaulted. Enough is enough.”
A TransLink spokesperson said security barriers had been made mandatory for all new buses purchased from July 1, 2022, and was working with bus operators on retrofitting barriers on the existing fleet.
The spokesperson added that there were currently 63 ‘Network Officers’ – security staff targeting fare evasion and anti-social behaviour – deployed on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Logan, Northern Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville networks.
“The Queensland Government is serious about providing a safe work environment for bus drivers and other frontline transport workers,” the spokesperson said.
“ … TransLink will continue to work collaboratively with Queensland Police to target anti-social behaviour on buses and bus interchanges as well as other locations across the South East Queensland network.”
Martin Hall, Kinetic’s executive general manager South East Queensland/Tweed, said the company was working to retrofit 100 buses with security screens.
“Bus drivers play an important role in the community and deserve to feel safe and be treated with respect in their workplace,” Mr Hall said.
“Anti-social behaviour and criminal activity is not tolerated, and all matters are referred to and dealt with by QPS. The overwhelming majority of passengers do the right thing.
“All new Kinetic buses are fitted with driver safety screens – and we’re retrofitting an additional 100 across our Gold Coast fleet.
“We also have a team of 21 network officers and CCTV cameras to help prevent anti-social behaviour.”
Sources told the Bulletin the issue of driver safety had become even more pressing because a growing number of drivers were people over 60 who were getting behind the wheel to supplement their retirement income.
The driver injured in the Mudgeeraba incident was 68 years old.
Former staff spoken to by the Bulletin said such drivers were finding it especially difficult to deal with the anti-social behaviour they encountered.
“The drivers have got no rights,” they said. “If they say anything to the kids, then they’re in trouble.”
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