"A huge noise, I thought it was a terror attack": The violence against bus drivers continues
A driver for the Electra Afikim company was attacked last night in Bat Ayin when teenagers from the settlement threw stones at him. The incident is part of a wave of violent attacks against drivers - earlier this week, a driver was attacked in Jerusalem until he lost consciousness and his teeth were broken. The bus drivers' union claims: "A red line has been crossed in the threats against bus drivers."
Another violent incident against a bus driver: yesterday (Monday), a bus of the Electra Afikim company was attacked in the settlement of Bat Ayin. The driver of bus line 362 was attacked by teenagers from the settlement who threw stones at him. This is the third such violent incident in the settlement in the last week alone.
At the beginning of the week, on the night between Saturday and Sunday, a driver for the Superbus company was attacked at the Eshkol-Ramot junction in Jerusalem. Teenagers struck the driver in the face with such force that he lost consciousness for several minutes and four of his teeth were knocked out. Following the severe injury, the bus drivers' union in the Koach LaOvdim organization announced protest strikes in the capital, with a stern warning:
"The murder of a driver is only a matter of time."
The bus driver who was attacked yesterday in Bat Ayin, M., described the moments of terror:
"Suddenly a huge noise. You think it's a terror attack from the intensity of the noise... and here I am full of glass shards. It wouldn't have taken much for them to enter my eyes and I would have lost control. I don't know if I will take the line again, and all this for what? Why endanger me and the passengers like this?"
Itay Cohen, head of the transport branch at Koach LaOvdim, clarified that the organization will not move on to the agenda:
"A red line has been crossed in the threats against bus drivers. It is impossible that this phenomenon returns again without a response. The company has the option to avoid the entry of buses into the settlement. If there is no possibility to provide protection for the buses, we will recalculate the route ourselves. We will not compromise on the safety of the drivers and passengers!"
