Stabbed bus driver fights for life

A bus driver remained in critical condition last night, after a male passenger stabbed him several hours earlier in the chin and throat - the latter attack just missing the trachea - in his refusal to present a pass allowing people with a disability to ride for free.

The 49-year-old bus driver, Jiao Songlin, was rushed to nearby Changhai Hospital, where his conditions were eventually stabilized before he was moved to an intensive care unit.

The attack came suddenly from an unnamed middle-aged man at the end of rush hour around 9:45 am at Baoshan district's Changjiang Road West bus station.

The suspect, who works for Baosteel Group and may suffer from a mental disorder, was detained shortly after and kept for questioning.

Local police said that they are waiting for the results of a psychological evaluation before pressing charges. No further details of the ongoing case were released by authorities Wednesday.

The attack was triggered after the passenger refused to pay his 2 yuan ($0.30)-fare, claiming that he had a disability, which can qualify certain people for free public transit.

But, when Jiao asked the passenger to show his pass, the man pulled out a blade instead - and the bus driver collapsed in a pool of blood while frantic passengers called for help.

The city's fourth passenger-attack on bus drivers in the past 10 months has once again put the issue of public safety into question, with local authorities assuring Wednesday that measures are being stepped up to protect bus drivers and passengers.

After the first string of incidents in June, authorities began equipping the city's some 10,000 public buses with panic buttons.

The move was made weeks after a female bus driver was strangled by a passenger, who suffered from a mental disorder, said He Fang, a press officer for the city's main bus operator, Shanghai Ba-Shi Public Transportation Company.

"We've put panic buttons on some 4,000 since we started the task last summer, but with thousands of buses in the city, the undertaking will take more time to complete.

"But, we're going to try and speed things up," he said. "The safety of our bus drivers and passengers is a top priority."

Already, 10,000 yuan from the operator's emergency fund, established last year in light of the incidents - meant to compensate bus drivers who are injured on the job while protecting the safety of passengers - has been set aside for Jiao's medical treatments, said He.

"He was just doing his job, and it's very unfortunate that this had to happen to him," he added.

Wednesday's episode trails the city's most recent passenger-attack on a bus driver last month. The bus driver, who was beaten after asking a passenger not to smoke on the bus, suffered minor injuries.