Footage of a brutal attack on a bus driver has been released by the Northern Territory government as authorities fast-track new protective screens on all buses.
During the incident in September, a passenger climbed over a protective screen and kicked the driver in the head, which forced him to hit the brakes.
The attack lasted about 10 seconds before the attacker left the bus.
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“These are absolutely horrendous acts and have the ability to cause so much damage to our community,” Logistics and Infrastructure Minister Bill Yan said.
“No one should go to work and think they might be a victim of a crime like this but it’s the reality for many workers in the Territory and it’s not good enough.”
In an unrelated attack, another driver was the target of an alleged stabbing attempt after a passenger jumped the security screen.
Police said the matter is still under investigation.
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Legislation ensuring minimum mandatory sentences for cowardly assaults on frontline workers is set to be introduced in the Territory.
The proposed changes are designed to protect people in a range of occupations including police, paramedics, nurses, doctors, teachers, corrections officers, retail and hospitality workers, and bus and taxi drivers.
This includes mandatory minimum sentencing for people with a prior conviction for a violent offence and a mandatory community corrections order for first-time offenders.
It follows a six-year campaign by Darwin’s bus drivers calling for full-length protective screens to shield them from repeated attacks.
Half of Darwin’s 79 urban fleet has been upgraded with the improved driver protection so far.
Yan will table a petition on behalf of the Transport Workers’ Union to install fit-for-purpose driver protection screens in all Darwin buses.
“We are already well underway implementing this so bus drivers can do what they’re paid to do, and that’s get Territorians to their location safely,” he said.
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