A city bus driver is in hospital after being stabbed by a passenger on Sunday night, say police.<\/p>\n
At roughly 11 p.m. on March 29, officers responded to a report of an aggravated assault that occurred inside a stopped bus in the area of 35 Street and 119 Avenue, said a police spokesperson in an email to Postmedia on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
It was reported that the bus operator was stabbed by a passenger, and the driver was treated and transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.<\/p>\n
Police said the passenger was arrested without incident a short time later and has been charged with aggravated assault and several breaches of a release order.<\/p>\n
Raj Brar, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569, said the driver was parked at the Abbotsfield Transit Centre and was wrapping up his shift when the incident occurred.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to start out by saying our hearts go out to our union members, this worker and his family. He showed up to his job, to serve his community and this is what he faced,\u201d said Brar in an interview with Postmedia on Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want him to know that every single sister, brother and sibling across the local union here in Edmonton as well as across Canada is thinking about him right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brar said with the incident still under investigation it\u2019s difficult for him to know all the details. From what he understands the passenger and suspect in this case was sleeping in the back of the bus. The operator was going to take the bus back to the garage to finish his shift. When he approached the suspect, he was slashed on the arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was in good spirits, despite being in a lot of pain when I spoke with him. He\u2019s still in hospital and he\u2019s waiting for possible surgery,\u201d said Brar.<\/p>\n
Brar said the bus driver is a long-standing member of Edmonton Transit Service, and this incident hits hard for him and all other drivers across the city who put their safety at risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are moments that every union member thinks about. Every employee that\u2019s part of transit thinks about. Violence against transit workers is unacceptable,\u201d said Brar.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody comes to work with hope of going home safe, and it\u2019s not fair that this is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recent years have seen a rise in violent incidents within the ETS system and within LRT stations and it\u2019s brought significant safety concerns forward among riders and ETS staff.<\/p>\n
Brar said an incident like this should bring forward another re-evaluation to try and find ways to keep ETS drivers and passengers safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo we need to put stronger safety measures in place? One attack is too many on a transit operator,\u201d said Brar.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe unions here need to advocate for more safety of operators at all times. The conditions, when you think about it, could happen to anyone at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
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