Fine, ban on bus driver confirmed on appeal

An appeal court has confirmed a Lm60 fine and a driving ban for a bus driver who was rude to an old lady and who kicked up a fuss at being told to let the lady sit on the side at the front of the bus.

Ronald Apap was banned from driving for a month after he was found guilty of driving recklessly, lacking in respect to passengers and refusing to obey the orders of a Public Transport Authority official in Gzira on August 3 last year at about 9.20 p.m.

The court heard the bus driver claim the woman would have obstructed his view through the left side-view mirror, which is why he did not want her to sit down in that particular seat. The woman had been directed to sit there by a Transport Authority official because the bus was full.

Enforcement Officer Gaetano Sammut said the bus driver kicked up such a fuss that the bus was swerving to the right and left until the driver stopped in the middle of the road and refused to go on. He eventually made it to Valletta where the police were called in to assist the enforcement officer.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono ruled that the fine and ban were appropriate punishment for such an incident which, although committed by a very small minority of drivers, served to give the public transport service a bad name.