Warning: This story contains graphic content.
A 44-year-old man has been charged after a 67-year-old driver sustained a “serious” stab wound during an altercation at Caloundra Station around 11:30 am on July 12.
The driver underwent surgery to close the laceration in his neck after being transported to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
The accused has been charged with serious assault of a person over 60, acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, and possession of a knife in a public area.
Bus drivers affiliated with the Transport Workers Union are now urging the Queensland government to reinstate the “bus safety forum,” which was discontinued earlier this year.
TWU Queensland Director of Organising Josh Millroy said a safety forum was a crucial step in ensuring alleged attacks like this are prevented.
“This latest attack, where a bus driver has been stabbed in the neck on the Sunshine Coast, is absolutely devastating. We’re working closely with the driver and his colleagues,” Millroy said.
“Translink and the State Government’s decision to scrap these Safety Forums, without any consultation with drivers or their union, is a disgrace.”
Millroy said there have been several serious assaults on drivers since March and that “countless” incidents of aggression and verbal abuse take place daily.
In a separate incident, a 21-year-old was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm after allegedly assaulting a driver, 46, in Brisbane on June 23.
The bus driver allegedly suffered serious bruising to his face, eye, cheeks and the back of his head.
Millroy said the forum would have been an opportunity for drivers to voice their concerns and ask for better safety measures.
”Our members continue to face threats, abuse, and assault across Queensland’s bus network,” he said.
“These are not abstract risks, they are ongoing, traumatic, and very real. Removing the Forum removes transparency. It silences driver voices.”
Millroy said he wrote to Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg regarding this issue but has not heard back.
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg’s statement in full:
My thoughts are with the bus driver, his family, and the first responders who provided assistance during this distressing incident.
Everyone deserves to feel safe on our public transport network and any act of violence against bus drivers or passengers is completely unacceptable.
This incident is currently under police investigation.
While the Bus Safety Forum can be reconvened to address safety concerns, we are also looking at different options to prioritise issues with key stakeholders to improve safety outcomes.
This is something we are taking extremely seriously.
Ensuring a safe working environment for bus drivers and other frontline transport workers is a top priority.
