Friday June 22, 10:17
PM
Attacks on bus
drivers up; SBS fights back
SINGAPORE: Its bus drivers have been slapped, punched and even
kicked. On Thursday, SBS Transit fought back with a publicity blitz
aimed at stopping attacks on its bus captains by members of the
public.
There have been 18 assaults on SBS Transit bus drivers in the first
six months of this year four more than the total number for the
whole of last year.
Driver H K Wong, 44, on June 6 became SBS Transits latest victim
when a male commuter punched him. Mr Wong had declined to hold up
Service 124 at a bus stop along Moulmein Road while the commuter
finished his cigarette.
The man stomped on board and hurled verbal abuse at the driver.
Then, he grabbed hold of Mr Wongs collar and threw a punch to the
back of his head.
Mr Wong told TODAY: I was surprised and stunned; and all the
commuters were shocked as well. It happened so suddenly.
A companion held the attacker backand Mr Wong stopped the bus. SBS
Transit officials and the police later arrived and a report was
made. Although he sustained no serious injury, Mr Wong said he
felt a little faint then and still has nightmares about the
incident.
Meanwhile, an SMRT spokesperson said the operator had received only
one report of an attack on its bus drivers this year. There were
none last year.
Lawyers TODAY spoke to say the police should act immediately when
bus drivers are assaulted.
Bus drivers are public servants, too, said Mr Subhas Anandan, who
heads the criminal law department at KhattarWong.
If you do this sort of thing (assault), it may cause an accident
and innocent parties may get injured, he told this newspaper. If
safety is compromised, the police should not hesitate to take
action and, if necessary, ask for a deterrent sentence against the
culprit.
Lawyer Amolat Singh agreed. Airline pilots, he said, are given
powers under the law to ensure order and safety on flights. He
argued that bus captains too, needed protection when ensuring order
and safety on a bus.
He said: The campaign may provide the bark. But the police must
provide the bite.
Assaults are classified as voluntarily causing hurt under Section
323 of the Penal Code. However, assailants cannot be arrested for
such offenses unless a warrant of arrest or a magistrates order
has been issued. The police can apply for an order to investigate
the assualt against a bus driver if it is one of clear public
concern, said a police spokesperson.
While the assaults on drivers may not be rampant, SBS Transit said
they are significant enough to be a cause for concern.
SBS Transits chief operating officer Gan Juay Kiat urged commuters
to report cases of abuse to the police.
Our bus captains, like anyone else, have the right to work in a
safe environment. They should not have to work in fear as they
carry out their duties, he said.
We are dismayed and disgusted with what some commuters have done
to our bus captains. Therefore, to protect our bus captains, we
will take action against their assailants, where
appropriate.
SBS Transit has put up posters in all 2,800 buses, 16 bus
interchanges and 18 terminals, encouraging the public to help stop
such attacks. - /fa
