Taxi, bus driver assaults warrant tougher sentences: Tom Hann

St. John's city councillor Tom Hannsays people who attack cabbies or bus drivers should face stiffer penalties, includingtougher and longer jailsentence.

"Something has to be done," said Hann.

"These people can't be on the front lines serving the public and have to put up with that on a continuous basis."

Hann's comments come in the wake of a recent string of incidents in whichtaxi drivers on the Northeast Avalon have been attacked while working.

• Cab driver assault in St. Philip's is the second this weekend

Hann called on city council to write a letter to Ottawa supporting the legislation last year, after a cabbie was assaulted in St.John's.

The council did just that, and is the only council in eastern Canada that'ssupporting the legislation, according to Hann.

Unacceptable situation

Hann believes a federal lawto combat the problem is long overdue.

Hesaid while the recent examples involve taxi drivers in St. John's, there are regular reports of assaults against Metrobus drivers as well.

"There's been incidents of verbal abuse, to drivers being spit at and so on," Hannsaid in an interview.

"They should not have to put up with that kind of stuff, and I'm hoping legislation that will deal with stronger sentencing will make people think twice."

A federal bill calling for increased penalties for assaulting transportation workers has made it through second reading in the federal House of Commons.

Hann thinks that tougher sentences would act as a deterrentto those who may consider attacking drivers in the future.

"I'm hoping legislation that will deal with stronger sentencing will make people think twice before they get into that situation," he said.

Vital role in society

Hannsaidthinks that cab and bus drivers serve an important function for the public, and their safety must be better looked after.

"These people are a big part of our daily lives everywhere," he said.

"They drive us to work, they drive us to school, they drive us to medical appointments, they drive us to our daily routines and they also drive us to keep people off the road when they're drinking."

In an extreme case last spring, a taxi driver was brutally attacked in St. John's.

Hann said it's time to recognize that those kinds of risks faced by bus and taxi drivers are unacceptable.

"It's appalling that these people have to work in those kinds of conditions, not knowing what's going to happen," he said.

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