Advocate calls for greater protection on public transport

A nursing student who is a member of the disabled community has alleged an unprovoked attack by a “vile” Route 11 ZR conductor who had been drinking, leaving her with what she said is a long-term brain injury and fearing for her and her disabled daughter’s safety and concerned about the treatment of disabled people on public transport. Days after the alleged attacker smashed a beer bottle on her head, he warned her against going to the police and remained free to go about his business while she wrestled with the consequences of the assault more than two months ago, she told Barbados TODAY . Tamsin King recounted the events that led to the alleged attack on Thursday, July 2. The route taxi was one she usually saw but normally avoided because of the musical content and behaviour of the driver and conductor, she said, but in her rush to get to her daughter quickly, she boarded it.

King said: “I was wearing my nurse’s uniform, so it’s clear that I’m a nurse, and I’ve previously seen that conductor before… On this occasion, the music wasn’t playing, but it was still the same conductor and driver. I got on, gave the conductor the money, the $3. 50 change, and I said thank you. But he was drinking alcohol from a Guinness bottle, this is the other thing and I thought, ‘Oh dear’, but I thought, let me just hurry and I’ll get to my daughter soon. “He then said to the driver: ‘Watch this. I don’t like her. The next thing I know, he struck me in the head with the glass bottle and a woman who sat behind me screamed out: ‘Stop the bus, let me off. ’ The driver then came to a halt. I was holding my head, and I staggered out after her. I literally staggered off this van; nobody said anything. The woman ran, like she got up and she ran, so I couldn’t even ask her for a witness…