"Extreme bullying": Police are looking for a suspect in a bus driver's attack

On Thursday, the suspect was documented confronting and violently threatening a driver and passenger on Egged's 190 line. "The passenger behaved unsteadily on the verge of insanity. We will not pass on that to the agenda: the safety of drivers and passengers in public transport is not futile," they accused the company. Minister of Transport: There is no justification for violent behavior towards drivers

"Extreme bullying": Police are looking for a suspect in a bus driver's attack

Police contacted the public on Sunday asking for help in locating a man driving on Egged's 190 line last Thursday afternoon, on suspicion of assaulting a driver in the Golden Canyon area of ​​Rishon Lezion. It is suspected that the man got on a bus on Moshe Dayan Street in the city, cursed and attacked the driver - and then fled. Part of the incident was documented by bus passengers. In the video, he appears to confront the driver and various passengers, cursing them and threateningly violently, apparently because the bus driver did not stop him on a previous trip.

"This is another delusional and violent incident of a passenger who is being brutally bullied toward the bus driver and passengers," spokesman Egged Ron Ratner blamed, "from a preliminary examination of the circumstances of the incident it became clear that the serious matter had developed without any logical or justifiable reason: the bus driver who noticed that the passenger was abusive The border of madness showed great restraint and did not drag along with the passengers to a violent melee with the attacker, but remained seated for many minutes. "

More in Walla! NEWS

"Extreme Event". The suspect in the act, as documented (screenshot)

Suspected of assaulting Egged bus driver on January 26, 2020 (Photo: Israel Police spokeswoman)

"We do not intend to move to the agenda in the face of the extreme event. The safety of drivers and passengers Public transport is not futile and we do not intend to leave them exposed to such severe bullying violence," explained Ratner, who praised the driver for his "courageous and restrained" function during the incident, warning that it could end "Tragically and harshly" if it had not been so.

Transport Minister Bezalel Smutrich uploaded the video documenting the incident on his Twitter page to "shame" the suspect in the act. "It should be clear: nothing, but nothing, justifies such violent and shameful behavior towards drivers in public transport. The drivers do sacred work in a complex reality of Sisyphean and abrasive work and under harsh conditions, and for the most part do it great and deserve every appreciation. What to improve but such behavior is simply out of bounds! ”Said the minister, who called to exhaust the severity of the case with the suspect.

"Before there is murder": Violence towards bus drivers has become routine