Two cases of alleged assault on Kiwi-Indian bus drivers have put the spotlight on safety of drivers in the city, with community members calling for stronger measures to curb such violence.
“This is my country, you are my servant.” That’s the last thing Rajnish Trehan heard before a fare-dodging passenger threw a punch in his face on September 7, 2024.
About a week earlier on August 31, a group of passengers spat on another driver – Singh (first name withheld) – and battered him with a skateboard when he asked them to pay the fare.
The public outrage over the attacks seems to have pushed Auckland Transport (AT) to take action to make the workplace safe for drivers.
Officials told The Indian Weekender they are putting in place measures that they feel should start to show effect in a few months.
The punch caused a deep gash on Trehan’s chin and dislodged one of his front teeth. Photos from the scene show a distressed Trehan bleeding from his facial wound. He was taken to hospital by his wife after waiting for help at the bus depot. Despite reporting the attack to Auckland Transport’s control centre and requesting assistance.
Trehan claims no medical help was offered, and he wasn’t provided transport to the hospital by management.
For Singh, the bus driver attacked earlier, the situation escalated when one of the assailants used a skateboard to beat him, leaving Singh with both physical and emotional pain.
"I have to put up with the pain and everything – the mental pain, the physical pain – it's just not fair," he said.
Operating at least 13,000 bus services every weekday, AT has described the attack on two Kiwi-Indian bus drivers as “concerning”.
The transport department is working closely with bus operators as they provide support for their staff, an Auckland Transport official said.
“Bus drivers work tirelessly to keep Aucklanders moving and deserve to feel safe in their place of work. We continue to work closely with police, other agencies, and communities to improve safety on public transport,” the officer said..
Over the next two years, AT plans to bring a few safety measures in place.
“Measures to improve safety on public transport include recently hiring an extra 12 transport officers to hubs; installing CCTV, GPS, and panic buttons, working more closely with the police, other agencies and community leaders at ‘hot spot’ locations; and retrofitting bus driver safety screens for 80% of the bus fleet,” the official said.
Indian community leaders have described the attacks as “disturbing and concerning”, and believe prompt action and relief should be provided by the authorities and the government.
While the assault on Trehan is being termed as a racist attack by some Indian community members, other Indian diaspora believe safety of bus drivers as workers should be the subject of focus.
“The government should step in immediately and provide the victim support and financial support to Rajnish ji till he feels safe to return to work,” said Suneel Kuncha, President of New Zealand Telugu Association.
While it is uncertain if any medical or financial aid was provided to the two Kiwi-Indian drivers, the community leaders are pushing for immediate and feasible upgrades to the existing buses for prevention.
Ilango Krishnamoorthy, member of the Manurewa community, suggests buses operating in the city should be updated to equip them with “secure cabins and a panic button to raise alarms in need of immediate assistance”.
Auckland Transport says such “isolated incidents are concerning”
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