21 Y.O. Charged After Allegedly Assaulting Brisbane Bus Driver

A man has been charged and granted bail after the alleged assault of a 46-year-old bus driver in Brisbane.

The incident took place shortly at the Southbank bus station on Friday evening, shortly after 6pm.

Footage quickly made the rounds on social media, appearing to show a man repeatedly punching the driver on a crowded bus. Onlookers could be heard yelling for the man to stop.

“This is terrible!” one social media user commented.

“Totally unacceptable,” another person added.

The incident was reported to Queensland Police on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, a 21-year-old man was arrested at a property in Sunnybank, police confirmed in a statement.

Footage of the alleged assault quickly made the rounds of social media. (Source: Facebook)

The man has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, June 23, where he successfully applied for bail.

As reported by ABC News, his defence lawyer Shane McDowell told the court the man had just boarded the city council bus when he was told to get off by the driver over an “issue” with the payment.

McDowell said the driver then used “physical force” to remove the man, which resulted in his mobile phone getting damaged. This is what “kicks it off”, he said.

“The defendant’s not just walking around looking for trouble,” McDowell said, per the publication.

The man was released on the conditions he have no contact with the driver and not use any Brisbane City Council bus, ABC News reported.

He is expected to appear in court next month.

@brisbane.lordmayor

This kind of behaviour is deeply disturbing and has no place in our city. No one deserves to face violence in their workplace, especially from a single individual whose reckless actions endangered the safety of everyone on board. My thoughts are with the bus driver who was subjected to this appalling and completely unacceptable attack while simply doing his job. Brisbane is a friendly city, a city where people of all beliefs, cultures and backgrounds live together harmoniously and a city where everyone deserves to feel safe. While we have strong safety protections for our bus drivers, we shouldn’t need them which is why we continue to stand up for Brisbane against crime to keep our community safe.

♬ original sound – Adrian Schrinner

In a Facebook post over the weekend, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner called the attack “deeply disturbing” and said he had spoken with the bus driver, who was “understandably shaken”.

“Our bus drivers serve our community every day to help you and I get around Brisbane. Violence against our hard-working bus drivers and other frontline workers should never be tolerated,” he wrote.

He added that he plans to ask the state government to look at ways to ban repeat offenders from using public transport.

“Enough is enough. If you assault a driver, you should lose the right to ride,” he said.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing. Anyone with information or footage, who has not made contact yet, is urged to contact police.

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