Calgary police said they have arrested two people believed to be responsible for a violent assault that sent a Calgary Transit bus driver to hospital with life-threatening injuries early Wednesday morning.
Police said it happened shortly after 1 a.m. when officers were called to the area near Falconridge Boulevard and Castleridge Boulevard Northeast for reports a city bus driver had been attacked by two unknown men.
Investigators believe the driver was attacked when he refused the suspects’ request to detour from his original bus route.
Police haven’t released any details on a possible weapon but described the driver’s injuries as “significant.”
Investigators said there was a passenger on the bus who tried to intervene but didn’t sustain any injuries.
The president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Mike Mahar, describes the attack as “a horrible act of cowardice” that highlights the dangers transit drivers face on a regular basis.
“It’s got to be one of the worst nightmares for people who are driving. It’s very disturbing,” Mahar said. “The entire membership really lives it. It’s ugly. There’s 60 or 70 of them every year that involve some sort of EMS or police intervention, but these ones at this level, I mean, it’s just devastating for the operator, for the families and for the co-workers.”
Police said charges against the two men who were arrested are pending.
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Reacting to news of the attack, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, promised a full review of what happened and transit safety measures.
“Calgary Transit officers are public servants and they deserve to be safe while serving citizens,” said Gondek.
“It’s a priority to understand how we can better protect frontline workers and what more we can do to ensure their safety.”
The driver’s condition was upgraded to stable later on Wednesday morning.
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