Transport Minister wants to review safety protocols after Auckland teen attacked on bus

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has asked Auckland Transport to confirm whether staff followed proper protocols during an attack on a bus that left a teenager with serious facial injuries.

Jason Luo, 16, lost three teeth after being attacked with a metal rod by an unknown woman on Friday, and three other teeth were damaged.

A 75-year-old passenger intervened to stop the attack near Williams Avenue in Pakuranga, the teenager said.

The woman got off the bus shortly afterwards and fled.

The teenager claimed the driver did not stop the bus to help him after the attack, continuing on the planned route.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant James Mapp, of County Manukau East CIB, initially described the attack as “unprovoked”.

A police spokesman said Wednesday that the investigation was continuing and no arrests had been made.

Meeting with family in Auckland on Wednesday, Brown said what had happened was “horrific” and “unacceptable”.

“In terms of how the incident was handled by the bus driver and Auckland Transport, I want to be assured that the appropriate policies and procedures were followed, and whether there is a need for improvement in that regard,” Brown said.

“This is not about pointing fingers, it's simply saying we need to learn from these incidents to ensure the safety of New Zealanders using public transport.”

The teenager initially claimed the woman was shouting racial slurs, but his father said it was too early to know whether the attack was racially motivated.

“As the attacker has not yet been arrested, we do not know whether the motive for the act was deliberate or accidental,” the teenager's father said.

“She used racist words targeting Chinese people, but we don't know if it was just something coincidental,” he said. “We can't say for sure, so we'll have to wait for further investigation by the police.”

The teenager's father said the facial injuries suffered in the attack would have a lasting impact on his son.

The father expressed pride in his son for confronting the attacker and protecting others from danger.

He was reassured to hear Brown talk about the government's commitment to tackling crime, but he hopes the incident will remind the government that it needs to improve safety on public transport.

“What I don't want is for safety on public transport to remain the same as before, once the incident has been forgotten,” said the teenager's father.

The cost of repairing the teen's damaged teeth was estimated at about $6,000, not including additional consultations and ongoing treatment, he said.

The teenager said he was now afraid to take public transport, calling on the government to do more to improve the safety of students in his situation.

“As students, we have to take the bus to school every day,” the teenager said. “If our basic safety is not ensured by the government and Auckland Transport, how can we, as students, travel safely?” [travel] each day?”

The Chinese community rallied around the injured teenager, and news of the attack was widely discussed on social media platforms such as WeChat and attracted attention from foreign media.

The family thanked Gleen Zhang, 75, who came to the teenager's aid during the attack.

The teenager said he did not remember if anyone else helped him during the attack because he was focused on defending himself.

There has been widespread criticism on social media of the bus passengers allegedly failing to offer help during the attack, but the teenager said they were not to blame.

“I hope that next time things like this happen around you, you offer your help,” he said. “Stand up for them, be brave and protect everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Auckland Transport said it had deployed officers to public transport hubs, buses, ferries and trains to help manage the security of the transport network.

A spokesperson said all buses were fitted with CCTV, GPS and panic buttons that record sound, connecting directly to a bus depot which can respond immediately and call police to intervene.

When asked what a bus driver was supposed to do in the event of an assault, an AT spokesperson said drivers were “trained in de-escalation techniques and advised not to engage in confrontational situations that could escalate”.

“Drivers cannot hold passengers back or prevent them from getting on or off the bus,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said AT staff were in personal contact with the victim on Monday.

AT said it was working on ways to reverse the rise in violence on public transport.

“As this is a societal issue, we continue to work closely with police and community partners on a range of measures,” the spokesperson said.

“We have put in place a joint plan with the police which includes measures such as additional security personnel across the transport network, additional police resources and an improved reporting process.”

National-list lawmaker Nancy Lu, who also attended the meeting on Wednesday, was shocked to learn of the incident.

She said many people from the Chinese community had reached out to her and her family to offer support, and she was grateful.

“This is not just something that concerns the Chinese community, but our society as a whole,” Lu said. “I appeal to those who have information to help the police investigate.”

Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee expressed a similar sentiment.

“Everyone living in New Zealand, regardless of their background, should feel safe in their community,” Lee said. “This type of attack is not acceptable under any circumstances.”