Saskatoon bus driver attacked by youths

A 55-year-old bus driver is recovering after being attacked outside a bus in Saskatoon Monday afternoon.

Saskatoon police said the call came in around 3:30 p.m. about an assault in the 200 block of Fairmont Drive.

According to a statement from the Director of Saskatoon Transit, Mike Moellenbeck, the driver reported he was pushed into a wheelchair lift while he was outside an Access Transit bus.

An ambulance took the bus driver to St. Paul’s hospital and police officers spoke with the driver there.

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The driver told the police he was attacked by two male youths who ran off afterwards.

Moellenbeck said Tuesday afternoon that the driver was recovering at home.

In his statement, Moellenbeck said Saskatoon Transit has put measures in place to respond to increasing violence across the transit system — increasing strategic patrols at the downtown terminal and expanding patrols at the Market Mall and Confederation Mall terminals.

As of July 1, Moellenbeck said the oversight of the community support officer program by the Saskatoon Fire Department will start and will include the addition of fire community support personnel in areas and routes where incidents are happening more.

“These personnel will play an important role as a uniformed presence to de-escalate situations or to assist in accessing supports for someone who may be agitated or experiencing a crisis,” read Moellenbeck’s statement.

Editor’s note: this story has been updated to correct where the assault happened and to add information provided by the Saskatoon Transit