The Fiji Bus Operators Association says the travelling public needs to stop the physical and verbal abuse of bus drivers and to exercise restraint when they are frustrated over travelling problems.

This follows what the association has noticed as a growing trend of violence directed towards bus drivers across the country in recent months.

FBOA General Secretary, Rohit Latchan says the majority of Fiji’s travelling public use buses as their main form of transport and the pressure is always on bus operators and their drivers to maintain problem-free services.

However, he says sometimes issues occur that are out of their control and the FBOA is urging the public to try to understand this before unleashing abuse at drivers in front of other passengers, including children.

Latchan says hurling swears at and physically assaulting bus drivers is never the way to resolve problems, instead it has the potential to escalate matters into something more serious.

Bus drivers Latchan adds plays an important role in ensuring the continued operation of public transport services and deserve some measure of respect by the people they are transporting.

In the same vein, bus operators are also calling on their drivers to remain customer-oriented, polite to passengers and keep their cool when under pressure.