Date: 10/4/07
Author:  PHILIPPA DUNCAN
Source: Tasmania Mecury

METRO bus drivers in Hobart have had a gutful of being spat at, abused, threatened, punched and shoved.

And they say it is passengers "off their faces" and "high as a kite" on drugs or alcohol who are causing the escalating trouble.

The bus drivers union is calling for security cameras on all buses, so passengers can feel safer and police can catch the people giving them "fat lips". Metro plans to have cameras in all buses by 2010 but drivers have asked what will happen between now and then.

Bus driver Paul Barrett was assaulted last week driving a bus late at night. An ambulance took him to the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Police charged a person with assault.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union branch secretary Samantha Simonetis said assaults and abuse of bus drivers had increased lately to at least one physical assault a month.

She said drugs were to blame for the violence, which was as likely to happen during the day as at night.
"There are just that many drug users out there," she said.

"When people are drunk, you can reason with them.
"When people are high, off their heads, you have got Buckley's."

Ms Simonetis said she could not offer a simple solution but more drug education and security cameras on all buses would help to catch the offenders. She said there had also been a major increase in traffic, which meant buses were routinely running up to 15 minutes late and drivers were copping daily abuse.

She said in the past five years two drivers had left Metro after being assaulted. One was punched so hard his retina detached and he lost partial sight in one eye. The other driver tried to return but broke into a sweat whenever he went near a bus.

Last month, the Government Business Enterprise Metro hearing was told about 56 of Tasmania's 251 Metro buses had security cameras.

It was revealed drivers had panic buttons back to base and police officers worked on buses to deter bad behaviour.

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