Attacks On Bus Operators Raises Concern
The Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities has raised concern about incidents of physical attacks on Bus Operators within the past two weeks.
Minister Fahy commented, “The Department of Public Transportation has reported such behaviour is increasing. Steps will have to be taken to protect Bus Operators from such attacks. We will prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.
“I should remind the public that those found guilty could face penalties under the Omnibus [Conduct] Regulations 2012.”
Those convicted face fines of up to $2,200.
In addition, the Minister noted that the DPT was also experiencing other problems on Bermuda’s main public transportation system with regard to the fraudulent sale or purchase of DPT fare-media.
He said, “We have recently confiscated counterfeit monthly bus passes from passengers. DPT are cooperating with the Bermuda Police Service to hopefully stop this illegal activity. Anyone found guilty of forging Government media will be brought before the courts and prosecuted.”
Those convicted could face fines of up to $1,500.
Do what they do in England, have the bus drivers behind a door, that will stop numerous assaults and protect the bus drivers fully, also don’t forget about CCTV on buses, that can help identify all those involved.
Agreed to the fullest,they need to imply a safety shield system it will most definitely prevent a physical attack on bus operators.
Do what they do elsewhere.
Passengers grab and restrain the culprit.
Bermuda?
Detz my cousin ….um gonna lay low in the back seat.
It will bite you…………
Bermuda has deteriorated so far down the rabbit hole you wonder if there is a way back to the surface.There is something to say for bad apples 5#!t it only takes one.Why are we not professionally ridding ourselves of these bad apples it can be done.
what next plexi glass in taxis.
This is BERMUDA there should not be any attacks in the first place.
Fix the problem that is causing the attacks to increase.
The only thing that will fix the problem is the Cat o nine tails, line them up on front street at the flag pole and whip them every ten minutes for a couple of hours and then send them to Westgate and make them tend a vegetable garden for the next ten years, that is what it will take to stop this nonsense!!! Why on earth should we now incur more expense by building glass shields to protect our bus drivers?
lol u sound like a former slave master or r ustill a slave master
Suggestions:
Educate teenagers and 20 somethings on what happens if they get pregnant before being able to provide. Educate teenagers and 20 somethings that once you have a child you give up your life, and if they are not ready to give up their life, then they shouldn’t be having children.
Most of all educate teenage and 20 somethings that a baby isn’t going to keep him around, it is going to push him away.
Give them the hard cold facts and then we won’t have so many poorly raised kids..
u say teenagers…. d man today was 69…. in a institution…???? hhhmmmm hard cold facts???
Oh, right like that would actually happen here? Please, we’re too busy handing out slaps on the wrist. Where else can you get away with murder? Literally. Get. Away. With. Murder.
I read the replies and none of you have a clue to what the problem is. To understand the real problem you have to understand why Bermuda was the way it was. Look deeper people, shallow thinking creates bandaids not solutions
Make stiffer penalties as well if you catch them..
No, apply the maximum penalty already on the books for a first offence. No wrist stroking conditional discharges.
Very true.
No do what is right throw them off the bus And make sure they never ride the bus again and put there picture on TV
That is nice. How can you do that?
Criminals shall lose a damn arm. Happens twice cut off the other ffs!
May I please make a suggestion?
Please recrute martial artists to roll with bus drveres inconspicuously…donate to the schools and see results….we have all this talent that we are not making use of.
Ok I read everyone comment and the only one that makes any sense is the one who said let’s find out the problem why these attacks are happening. I am totally against violence and fighting is wrong but let’s be honest some of these bus drivers are nasty. I hear how they talk to people mostly locals all the time.they have no respect. So yes let’s look at the source and the bus drivers play a big part.I am a firm believer of you reap what you sew so if your nasty to people then guess what you get a negtive response back. So minister of transportation tell your bus drivers to respect people and they will get respect.
This sounds great on paper but the court system here is a joke. The guilty will receive a conditional discharge or even an absolute discharge and surprisingly after a trial. So the Minister can say they will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law all he wants. Trust and believe they will be pampered to the fullest extent of the law.
What I find very interesting is a person gets a conditional discharge for bad behavior, yet a person who commits traffic offences must pay the fine. This system is nothing but a joke and these words are simply meaningless in the end.
Easy fix …but you wussies will object…so take wat comes your way!
In all fairness having heard some of the rudeness come out of these drivers mouths it’s no wonder they getting slapped up…especially the women! Just the other day one was making nasty homophobic remarks to a gay tourist who got off her bus and sarcastically thanked her for her (not)great Bermuda hospitality
we’ve allowed are children to be rude and disrespectful by going along with eople saying you cannot discipline yor children because it’s child abuse. whoever heard such crap. This theory of let them find their own way is crazy. even animals guide and discipline their young. guess they have more brains than us.
Death penalty takes care of the bad apple so we don’t have to deal with them ever again no lingering smell no residue just move on.You incarcerate the really bad apple they recruit through fear and intimidation.Before some of you object would you let this person date your daughter or son or even welcome them into your home.You can not have it both ways WAKE UP!!
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These persons pictures should be posted at Central Terminal and forbidden to ride the buses for a spell. The other operators need to know who they are. This was to have been implemented a few years back but the ball was dropped. O. S & H Committee members agreed to this BUT like everything else in Government it gets put on hold until another similar situation occurs.
This needs to be addressed asap as it is sending a signal to other rowdy commuters that they can act up on the public transportation as the penalty is not as consequential as it should be. Thus the repetition of these behaviours.
I was literally just talking about this. My recent trip to New York and also Toronto, there are signs on the trains, subways, buses etc. The sign clearly stats that an assault on a Metro Transit employee is the same as assaulting a police officer, and can have a fine of $10,000 or 20 years. This is a very good deterrent, we need to protect our Public service workers. A $2,500 fine is nothing, around the same as drunk driving, maybe not that high, but you get the point. There should be a zero tolerance for this type of behavior generally, but more specifically for those providing services to the community.