OTTAWA — The head of Ottawa’s transit union is renewing calls for the passage of a private member’s bill that aims to create harsher penalties for people convicted of assaulting bus drivers after an attack Monday night that caused an OC Transpo driver to swerve into oncoming traffic.
Ottawa police said an intoxicated man became “belligerent and aggressive” after boarding a bus on Waller Street at about 7:20 p.m. The man assaulted the driver while the bus was in motion, police said.
The bus swerved into the opposite traffic lane during the assault, but avoided any collisions.
Patrick Guitard, 50, was charged with assault, causing a disturbance, public intoxication and a breach of probation.
Guitard was expected to appear in court Tuesday.
A proposed private members’ bill that would require judges to consider harsher penalties for assaults on bus drivers “just can’t wait,” said Craig Watson, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279, which represents Ottawa drivers.
“It’s a serious matter, not just for the bus drivers but for anybody who is riding on a bus or anybody who happens to be on a sidewalk. If something happens when the driver is driving … it’s astounding what could happen,” said Watson.
“Any of these beatings and assaults on drivers have the potential to become a tragedy.”
Watson said presidents of Amalgamated Transit Unions from across the country will be in Ottawa later this month to push for passage of Liberal MP Ralph Goodale’s private member’s bill. NDP MP John Rafferty has also proposed a similar private members bill.
Ottawa city council and mayor Jim Watson have already thrown their support behind the bill.
Craig Watson said the driver in Monday’s assault was not seriously hurt, but was shocked.
“When you’re driving and all of a sudden this happens to you it’s traumatic,” said Watson.
Attacks on drivers aren’t uncommon.
OC Transpo recorded 62 incidents of violence against drivers in 2012; among those, one driver was splashed with a cup of urine, another had his crotch grabbed by a drunken passenger and many others were punched and spat on.
In October, a man was given a 12-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting a driver.
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