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After last week’s violence on the Gold Coast the trouble continues, but bus drivers now have added protection

February 23, 2012

A Gold Coast bus driver was spat at and a bus rear window smashed late on Tuesday night, as violent behaviour towards Surfside’s bus drivers continued into another week.

The incident at Mudgeeraba around 11pm on Tuesday night allegedly involved four youths, claimed to have threatened and verbally abused the driver before exiting the bus and smashing the rear window as the bus pulled away.

Despite this latest incident, Surfside Buslines and its parent company Transit Australia Group are upbeat about the Queensland Government’s offer to increase security measures following an attack on another driver at Miami last week.

The driver involved in Tuesday’s altercation at Mudgeeraba followed company safety procedures, immediately calling in the incident to base and a security team was dispatched to the area.

Within minutes the security team had identified and detained the four youths until Queensland Police arrived and made an arrest.

Transit Australia Group’s General Manager of Strategic Planning Megan Harkin says the driver’s response to the incident was an example of well-trained drivers following company policy and working with security contractors and Queensland Police to achieve a good result.

“The state government investment in increased security measures is just one of the positive steps towards safer public transport, both for our drivers and our passengers.” Harkin says.

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