Bus Driver Reports Racial Abuse Incident on Auckland Route

Henry Liu was driving a route 70 bus from Britomart to Botany when a woman boarded and began using racist slurs. Near Auckland University, the woman started counting Asian passengers, making Liu feel uneasy.

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“I sensed something was wrong and reported it to our dispatcher using the intercom,” Liu told RNZ.

Liu asked the dispatcher to call the police as the woman moved around the bus, verbally and physically confronting two passengers. He then stopped the bus, opened the rear door, and advised passengers to disembark while continuing to request police assistance.

The woman left the bus and boarded another one. Other passengers were picked up by a subsequent route 70 bus. Police arrived at the scene shortly after.

Increasing Violence on Public Transport

Hayley Courtney from the union representing bus drivers said violence on public transport has reached “crisis” levels.

Inspector Grant Tetzlaff, area commander for Auckland Central, confirmed reports of the woman being verbally abusive and possibly striking two passengers. Police are seeking to identify the woman using CCTV footage and urge the two passengers involved to come forward.

Liu had to take a day off work after the incident, describing it as “shocking.” Having been in New Zealand for about 10 years, he noted an increase in such incidents, which were rare a few years ago.

He compared this incident to an attack in June where a 16-year-old Chinese teenager suffered severe facial injuries on a bus.

Safety Concerns and Training

Liu expressed concerns about his safety, especially at night and on weekends, due to the higher chance of encountering drunk or unruly passengers. He called for training in basic self-defense and de-escalation techniques, as drivers currently lack such training.

Rachel Cara, public transport operations group manager at Auckland Transport (AT), said the organization is assisting police with their investigation. She emphasized that most public transport customers are respectful, but these isolated incidents are concerning.

Cara stated that drivers receive de-escalation training as part of their induction and are instructed to avoid confrontational situations. AT is working with police and other agencies to improve safety on public transport, focusing on this issue during the school holidays.

Safety Measures and Improvements

Measures to improve safety include deploying transport officers to hubs, installing CCTV, GPS, and panic buttons, retrofitting protective screens, and increasing police presence at “hot spot” locations. AT plans to retrofit screens on 80% of the bus fleet over the next two years.

Liu called for faster installation of protective screens and more transport officers to manage safety. First Union organizer Neil Chapman highlighted the lack of health and safety training in the industry and stressed the importance of self-defense training for bus drivers and other frontline workers.

Chapman also called for safety features like protective screens and emergency buttons on all buses to protect drivers from violent and antisocial behavior