A public bus driver (L) in Dong Nai Province attacked by staff from an ‘enemy’ bus.

Public bus journeys in Dong Nai Province have become so prone to attacks by gangsters that several drivers have resigned their jobs.

On Sep. 19, six buses of the Xuan Hoa Transport Cooperative were parked in Xuan Hoa Commune, Xuan Loc District when two motorists threw rocks and bottles to break their glass windows.

The buses had to stop operations for a while to have the windows fixed.

Le Van Khue, the district police chief, said his unit has not been able to identify the attackers as they were masked, their number plates were covered and incident happened at night.

Three days earlier another bus belonging to the cooperative carrying 40 students were stopped by two men and a woman, who beat the driver, forced the bus staff to return the fares and all passengers to move to another bus.

Khue said the attack caused VND1.4 million (US$78) worth of damage and the attackers were fined.

Thai Huu Hong, chairman of the transport cooperative, said the attacks had begun around the middle of August when the cooperative was assigned to run route No.14 that runs from Xuan Hoa Commune to Nhon Trach District where many industrial zones are located.

Hong said the buses were usually stopped and prevented from picking more customers while the drivers and assistants were badly beaten.

A total of 18 buses ply on No.14 carry mostly students and workers to and from the Xuan Hoa Commune to Nhon Trach District.

Thai Thi Ty, director of the Public Passenger Transport Center under Dong Nai Province’s Transportation Department, said several of these buses were run by individuals, some of them unlicensed.

Ty said many parents have complained that they chose public buses for their children because they are usually cheap, safe and convenient, but they have been disappointed.

But route No.14 buses are not the only victims. The Public Passenger Transport Center has maintained a long record of attacks on several routes.

Among the list, a case on Sep.21 saw a bus of local private company Hoang Ha forcing another one from the Bien Hoa Transport Cooperative to the sidewalk. Five people from the first bus beat up driver Duc Thinh of the latter.

Buses No.11 operated by Ho Chi Minh City-based Hiep Yen Cooperative tops the victim list as many unlicensed buses ply the same route between the province capital city of Bien Hoa and Vung Tau.

Many drivers on these routes have quit their jobs.

Ty said her unit has tried to rearrange the buses’ schedules so that they won’t fight over passengers.

Nguyen Van Diep, director of Dong Nai Transport Department, said he has sent a note asking the provincial police to keep an eye on the situation.

Reported by Hoang Tuan