Go-Ahead bus driver allegedly assaulted; second case in 3 months
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In a Facebook post on Aug 27, public bus operator Go-Ahead said one of its drivers was assaulted on the job on Aug 16 at around 5.20pm.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
SINGAPORE – For the second time in three months, public bus operator Go-Ahead said one of its drivers was assaulted on the job.
In a Facebook post on Aug 27, Go-Ahead said the incident occurred on Aug 16 at around 5.20pm when the driver was operating bus service 2, which runs between Changi Village Terminal and Kampong Bahru Terminal.
It added that the trip was disrupted and the driver sought medical attention at Changi General Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. He has since returned to work, with Go-Ahead noting that “we are continuing to provide him with our full support”.
The public bus operator said a police report has been lodged.
The post did not offer details of the incident.
Yeo Wan Ling, executive secretary of the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU), said in a Facebook post on Aug 28 that “abuse and violence against public transport workers must never be normalised or accepted as simply part of the job”.
She added that the NTWU remains in contact with the driver and will continue to provide him with support, including legal assistance where needed.
However, support after an incident “is only one part of the equation”, said Yeo, who is also an MP for Punggol GRC.
“We must also do everything we can to prevent such incidents and make clear that abuse, intimidation and violence against workers carrying out their duties will not be tolerated,” she said.
“Disagreements and frustrations may arise during a journey. They can and should be resolved without resorting to abuse or violence... I ask commuters to extend the same patience and respect to our public transport workers that we would expect for ourselves and our loved ones at work.”
The Straits Times has contacted Go-Ahead and the police for more information.
In its post, Go-Ahead said public transport workers “deserve to be treated with respect and should never have to face abuse or violence while doing their job”.
The previous incident took place on May 23, when a bus driver was allegedly verbally abused and physically assaulted by a passenger who was angered that he had missed his stop.
That driver was also operating bus service 2, between Changi Village Terminal and Kampong Bahru Terminal.
NTWU said then that the bus driver reported experiencing blurred vision after the incident but added that “fortunately, his injuries are not serious”.