Auckland Indian bus driver Rajnish Trehan was assaulted on Saturday morning by an unruly passenger who refused to pay his fare and shouted racial abuse, leaving Trehan requiring hospital treatment The New Zealand Herald reported.
The incident occurred around 10am on Trehan’s Number 18 bus, which travels from the city to West Auckland via Avondale. The passenger, the last of three to board, refused to tag on with his Auckland Transport HOP card and began shouting when asked to pay. Trehan, trying to de-escalate the situation, relented but asked the man to show respect for other passengers. In response, the man yelled, “This is my country, you are my servant,” and then punched Trehan in the face without warning.
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. Trehan pushed the emergency button, and the suspect fled the scene.
Photo: Supplied
Trehan 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, he claims no medical help was offered, and he wasn’t provided transport to the hospital by management. His wife had to drive more than half an hour from Papakura to take him for treatment, where he received five stitches for his chin and was referred to Middlemore Hospital for dental care.
Trehan expressed his frustration, stating that Auckland bus drivers are frequently subjected to abuse, including passengers refusing to pay, shouting, and becoming violent. He questioned why more safety measures, like transport officers and plastic barriers, aren’t in place to protect drivers, especially given the frequent nature of such incidents.
The police are investigating the assault, and Auckland Transport confirmed it was assisting in the investigation. Auckland Transport’s Public Transport Operations Manager, Rachel Cara, said the organisation had taken several steps to improve safety for bus drivers, including adding more transport officers, installing CCTV and panic buttons on buses, and planning to fit safety screens to 80% of the bus fleet over the next two years.
Trehan, who has been a driver for five years, said that while he and his colleagues often endure such behaviour to provide for their families, there needs to be more done to protect public transport workers from violence and abuse.
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