A bus driver in Adelaide suffered a stabbing injury from scissors during an incident involving a passenger. This occurred around 11:30pm while the driver was operating the 228 bus to Smithfield in North Adelaide. A 23-year-old woman from Morphett Vale was later arrested by police, found with the scissors in her possession.
Following this alarming event, the Transport Workers Union highlighted that such attacks, along with verbal abuse and spitting incidents, are occurring too frequently. In response, the state government is expediting the installation of security screens for drivers on all 940 buses, although the completion of this project is expected to take another two years. To enhance safety in the meantime, buses that already have security screens will be allocated to high-risk routes.
Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis reassured the public that all public transport vehicles are equipped with CCTV cameras, ensuring that offenders cannot escape accountability. He emphasised that anyone committing a crime on public transport should not assume they will evade capture. Fortunately, the injured bus driver’s hand is expected to heal fully.