Canadian Bus Drivers Vulnerable to Attack

In latest in a surge of assaults on Lower Mainland bus drivers, union leaders say that the transit system continues to boil over with problems. In recent years, there has been an average of 180 assaults on drivers annually. This year, 100 assaults were reported from January to June, setting a pace for more than 200 this year. The latest assault took place about noon, when a 31-year-old man was unable to pay the complete fare. He was told to get off the bus, after which he threw a handful of change into the 57-year-old driver's face and then punched him. This year also saw one of the most vicious attacks on a driver in the history of Coast Mountain, which employs 2,600 drivers. The 57-year-old driver was bitten and beaten unconscious about 6 a.m. on May 6 in Coquitlam. The driver has no plans to return to work in the near future.