Public bus drivers complain over aggressive passenger behavior

A Transmac drivers’ association published a statement in the Chinese-language newspaper Macao Daily News complaining of passengers’ aggressive behavior, which has resulted in at least nine cases of drivers being attacked.
According to local media, the association said in an advertisement published in the Chinese newspaper that a Transmac driver was recently attacked by a passenger who first splashed a liquid at him before getting off the bus. The driver got off the bus too, but the passenger hit him, breaking his nose. Transmac’s deputy general manager, Kuan Weng Kai, told The Macau Post Daily that the driver underwent surgery at the public hospital, while the passenger was referred to a police station nearby.
He urged passengers not to vent anger at drivers over bus frequency issues, since these matters are decided by the government and not by bus operators.
A spokesperson for the Transmac drivers’ association told newspaper Ponto Final that they will not be filing complaints over offenses to physical integrity, as these matters are usually solved within the company.
Lawmaker Lei Cheng I, from the labor sector, told Ponto Final that cases of passengers attacking bus drivers are related to an increasing number of people using public transportation in recent years. “Overcrowded buses have prompted passengers’ upheaval and discontent,” she said. The lawmaker added that the increasing number of non-resident workers has harmed Macau’s public transportation service quality.
Bus operator TCM also revealed that it has recorded three cases of passengers who have attacked their staff, newspaper Tribuna de Macau reported. A spokesperson for the bus operator said that they file complaints to Macau’s police forces whenever there’s a case of assault against its drivers. They have also launched training programs to help drivers manage passengers’ behavior.