City concludes investigation, won't say if hair-pulling driver will face discipline

The city says it has concluded its investigation into an HSR driver who was caught on camera grabbing a passenger by the hair but officials won't say if the driver will face any sort of discipline.

The city released a statement from director of transit Debbie Dalle Vedove Friday afternoon announcing the investigation was over, but spokesperson Jasmine Graham said officials would not comment on the state of the driver's job.

"We aren't able to comment on confidential personnel issues," Graham said.

• HSR driver alleges she was spat on before hair pulling incident
• City investigating after photos show HSR driver pulling passenger by hair

The incident happened on Tuesday. Police say they were called about a disturbance at Concession Street and East 13th by the driver of the route 23 Upper Gage bus, who had stopped the bus after a verbal altercation.

City officials say it was over a fare dispute.

Police Const. Claus Wagner says the driver told police that a passenger "spit in her face" and that she then grabbed the passenger by the hair to hold on to her.

Graham told CBC News that the city has spoken to witnesses who confirmed the spitting took place.

City takes safety seriously, transit director says

In her statement, Dalle Vedove said the city does not "condone the exercise, attempt or threat of any physical force or harassment in any workplace including an HSR bus."

"HSR takes the safety of both operators and customers very seriously. In a continuing effort to ensure safety on board, HSR will begin installing security cameras on the entire fleet starting later this month," she wrote.

"Every HSR bus in Hamilton is scheduled to be outfitted with cameras by the end of 2017 making investigations like this one as efficient and accurate as possible."

Dalle Vedove said that since July of 2014, there have been 88 driver assaults in Hamilton, and 34 of them were related to fare disputes.

"It is regrettable that our operators are occasionally subject to behaviour such as this and we are committed to supporting their diligent efforts in executing their responsibilities," she said.

Images of this specificaltercation were widely spread on social media by passenger Sierra Johnson.

She told CBC News that the driver gave her and the woman in the photo a hard time for not having photo identification with their student bus passes.

Bus stopped as driver called police

Then, she alleges, things escalated.

"She started giving me a hard time for standing on the bus," Johnson said. "Then she told me to get off my effing phone." Johnson says she was calling to complain to HSR at the time.

As things continued, the driver was agitated and missed an older woman's stop, Johnson says. The driver then stopped the bus and got off to use her phone.

That's when the other woman got off and confronted her, saying she was going to be late for work, Johnson says.

"That's when the bus driver pulled her hair," Johnson said.

Eric Tuck, president of the ATU union local 107 that represents bus drivers, told CBC News that Johnson is "known to HSR," and they have "had incidents with her in the past."

Police say the driver has filed a police report, and they are searching for the woman alleged to havespit on the driver.

adam.carter@cbc.ca