Measures unveiled to keep bus drivers safe after fatal attack

Buses in New Zealand will have safety ambassadors from next year as part of efforts to keep public transport safe following an attack this week that killed one passenger and injured another.  

Sefo Leger passed away on Monday after being stabbed on an east Auckland bus by a fellow passenger. Another passenger was injured and needed surgery on his hand after also allegedly getting attacked, the New Zealand Herald reported.  

Bus and Coach Association chief executive Delaney Myers told the Herald that drivers are "shaken" following the incident.  

"This is something that's happened in someone's workplace, and of course, all the other drivers can reflect upon that, you know, within their workplace and how they would feel. So, they are unsettled, absolutely," Myers told the news outlet.  

But the chief executive offered assurance that public transport remains safe, with an ongoing trial of live CCTV on buses that is linked to a control room.  

"And next year, there'll be a rollout of community safety ambassadors, so more people who are actually there to ride the bus, to monitor the bus, to check in on people," she added.  

The attack also left locals in fear, according to the report. Josephine Bartley, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki ward councillor on Auckland Council, said people also wanted reassurance that public transport was safe.  

Myers maintained that a "bus is a safe place."  

"You know, it's a horrific incident that's happened, but actually it's a real outlier. And people should feel comfortable and confident taking public transport," she said as quoted by the Herald.  

Public transport crimes

Data reported by 1News earlier this year revealed that there was a six per cent rise in crime incidents on public transport and at transport hubs between 2023 and 2024.  

While transport-related crime remained steady in Wellington, 1News noted that it went up in Christchurch and Auckland over the past two years.  

Stacey van der Putten, Auckland Transport group manager of metro services, maintained that buses in the city are safe.  

"We had over 1.7 million journeys last week. These incidents are very minimal in terms of the numbers. One is too much, of course," she told 1News.  

"The vast majority of people who travel on public transport do so respectfully and kindly."  

But measures have been implemented to curb violence on buses, according to van der Putten.  

This includes having a duress button for drivers so they can alert a system operator in the event of assaults.  

Installing glass screens for drivers is also under consideration, she added.