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Three bus drivers in Tauranga have been assaulted by passengers in just five days, including one driver being punched and strangled for asking a man to pay a full fare.

A union representative claims the separate attacks on three bus drivers are not being adequately handled by bus company Kinetic New Zealand.

Kinetic NZ chief operating officer Stephen Mckeefry said he was deeply concerned to hear that any member of their team may have felt unable to speak up after feeling unsafe or experiencing an assault at work.

On Monday, a bus driver travelling through Pāpāmoa was punched in the back of the head and choked by a male passenger.

“He punched like he was trying to kill me – it wasn’t a normal punch ... and he tried to press my neck,” the driver said.

“I don’t know why he did that; I’m still shocked by what he did to me.

“Now I have a brain concussion and the doctors told me to stay home for one week.”

The passenger, the driver said, was angry after being asked to pay $3.40 – the full fare amount – instead of the $2 he had given the driver.

Upon leaving the bus, he punched the driver, with the driver reaching for his radio to call for help.

The man then hopped back on to the bus and put his hands around the throat of the driver, briefly strangling him.

The driver said this was the fourth assault in just one month that he had heard of that had happened to drivers in Tauranga.

“I don’t feel safe anymore. Anyone can do anything to you as a bus driver, there’s no safety,” he said.

Just a day later, on June 17, a bus driver was on a school run from Tauranga Boy’s College’ and missed a turn, quickly correcting his mistake and apologising to the students on board.

A 14-year-old male lashed out and punched the driver in the face as he was exiting the bus.

On June 13, a third Tauranga driver travelling to Windermere was punched in the face by a male passenger after refusing to drop him at a roundabout instead of the correct bus stop.

A police spokesperson said they were following lines of enquiry into both the 16 and 17 June incidents and were working to identify and locate the offenders.

Tramways Union secretary Kevin O’Sullivan alleged the way Kinetic NZ operated was to “deny everything” and not fully address the issues and drivers’ concerns.

“These guys [the drivers] are at their wits’ end,” O’Sullivan said. “There’s a risk for them and everyone seems to be just pushing it aside and not worrying about it.”

Mckeefry said in each case, the drivers had reported the incidents immediately through the proper channels and Kinetic NZ responded in line with established support protocols.

“This includes dispatching a supervisor or depot manager to the scene, arranging a relief driver, offering medical assistance if needed, and ensuring the affected driver gets home safely.

“Counselling and support services are always made available.”

Migrant drivers not reporting assaults

Earlier this month, the Herald on Sunday reported migrant bus drivers said they were “fearful” to speak about assaults in case they were investigated by their employers.

“Many of our drivers don’t even report assaults because they are afraid they’ll get punished if they make a report ... they don’t want to lose their jobs,” a Tauranga bus driver said.

On May 13, a fourth Tauranga driver had his arm fractured by a passenger after a confrontation whilst driving his regular route in Mount Maunganui.

Following the assault, the driver was scared he was going to lose his job and be sent home to the Philippines.

First Union organiser Hayley Courtney said there were “mixed messages” coming from bus companies about how to respond to aggression.

“Effectively they are told, in some depots and in some companies, if you leave your seat you’ll find yourself in disciplinary,” Courtney said.

Good Heart NZPH Foundation Charitable Trust executive assistant Lani Larsen, who provides community support to overseas Filipino workers, said drivers being investigated by their employers after assaults was “traumatising”.

Mckeefry said drivers’ wellbeing was a top priority.

“Most passengers treat our drivers with the respect they deserve, but we are seeing an increase in aggressive and violent behaviour and that is simply not acceptable,” he said.

Reduction in security

A decision by Bay of Plenty Regional Council to reduce security hours in the CBD has also been criticised by bus drivers.

The council’s funded security presence in the CBD had been lessened from 11am-9pm to 10am-6pm, with no weekend hours.

O’Sullivan said the scaled-back security was leaving bus drivers at risk on evening shifts when assaults commonly occurred.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council public transport director Ollie Haycock said reports of violence or aggression against drivers were taken “extremely seriously” by the council.

“While the times at which security guards are deployed were changed in February 2025, the total number of security hours has remained consistent since January 2024.

“We understand the concerns raised and are actively reviewing this as part of our ongoing service monitoring.”

Mckeefry said they were committed to working alongside Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the police and other partners to develop a co-ordinated approach that better protected drivers and kept the public transport network safe for everyone.

Eva De Jong is a New Zealand Herald reporter covering general news for the daily newspaper, Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday. She was previously a Multimedia Journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news.