A bus driver operating a Superbus route in Jerusalem's Ramot neighborhood was assaulted by a group of teenagers while stopped at a red light at the Eshkol-Ramot intersection on Route 2. The attackers struck the outside of the bus, and when the driver opened his window, they punched him repeatedly, causing him to lose consciousness for several minutes and break four teeth.
The driver, identified only by the initial M., regained awareness and contacted police before being taken to a hospital. "I had just started my shift," He said in a statement released by the public transportation workers' union Koach LaOvdim. "I heard loud banging on the side of the bus. I opened the window, and suddenly I was being brutally beaten. I was unconscious for about two minutes. When I came to, I could feel blood in my mouth. There were curses, shouting and faces full of hatred all around me. I don't know why. I had only just started my shift."
He managed to drive through the intersection despite feeling disoriented and safely stopped the bus. "I don't want to think about what could have happened if there had been passengers on board," He said.
Itay Cohen, head of the transportation division at Koach LaOvdim, condemned the incident and called for enhanced security. "Another line has been crossed in the violence against public transportation workers, and only the driver's quick thinking prevented a disaster," Cohen said. "What would have happened if, after this attempted lynching, he had crashed into another vehicle? We appreciate the work of Jerusalem's mobile security unit, but it is unacceptable that only three mobile security officers are responsible for addressing violence on the city's buses."
The union urged Superbus to provide security footage to police. Superbus said it "views the assault with the utmost severity and strongly condemns any act of violence against public transportation employees" And stated it is cooperating with law enforcement to identify suspects while supporting the driver and his family.