Robert Abela said he was open to considering legislative changes to protect bus drivers, as he urged respect for those providing the invaluable service.
The Prime Minister was fielding questions from Times of Malta on whether he felt laws needed to be changed to ensure better protection of bus drivers, following at least three cases of abuse by commuters in recent weeks.
The law already provides higher punishments for assaults on public officers such as the police and soldiers. The government is currently considering extending this to journalists.
Last week, a bus driver was assaulted and insulted in full view of other passengers on a Valletta-bound bus. Footage shared on social media showed a male passenger yelling at the driver to open the bus door, while the bus was moving to pick up a €50 note he allegedly saw on the ground.
The man could be heard swearing and insulting the driver in Maltese. He also makes derogatory comments about the driver being "Indian". When the driver said he would be calling the police, the passenger turned aggressive and banged on the perspex intended to protect bus drivers.
"If you call the police, I [will] kill you," he can be heard saying at one point. The footage shows the man reaching out to hit the driver on multiple occasions.
Earlier in the week, about 80 passengers on a packed bus had to disembark in Msida after a man wearing safety boots kicked and shattered the glass door because the bus was too full to allow him aboard.
The previous day, a bus driver was slammed on social media for "blocking an ambulance" when in reality he had no choice because there was a concrete truck blocking the road in front of him.
“If there’s a need to revise the laws we can do it. In truth, that’s a continuous process.
"But I appeal for more respect. Bus drivers are providing a very important service to the country and they require everyone’s respect. I condemn any form of abuse on anyone, including bus drivers. The nation needs to show more respect,” Abela said.
He said assaults were already covered by heavy punishments and he was satisfied with the punishments meted out by the courts.