Bologna bus driver has part of ear bitten off after stopping past the shelter
A passenger on a Bologna city bus attacked the driver and bit off a piece of his ear on Saturday morning after the vehicle stopped a few meters beyond the shelter.
The incident
Around 8 a.m. on Saturday 13 June, a Tper bus on line 96 pulled up a few meters past the shelter in Piazza Minghetti, Bologna. The driver had not immediately noticed a stop request. A man waiting at the stop then boarded the vehicle and directed his anger at the driver. He spat on the driver, hurled insults and, when the driver tried to push him away, bit into the driver's ear and tore off a fragment of cartilage.
The attacker fled on foot as police arrived at the scene. The driver was treated on site by 118 emergency personnel and later transported to hospital. Police seized onboard surveillance footage to aid identification.
Official reaction
Bologna's city councillor for mobility and infrastructure, Michele Campaniello, condemned the attack in forceful terms.
An act of unheard-of and unacceptable violence, a profound offense to our entire civil community.
He expressed his full solidarity with the driver and stressed that public transport workers have an absolute right to work in safety.
No disservice, real or perceived, can ever justify or minimise an act of such barbarity.
Investigation
Investigators are examining the internal CCTV recordings to identify the suspect. At the time of writing the man remains at large.
