Hamilton bus drivers exposed to violence ‘daily,’ says union, as data shows assaults up 126% over last decade

Nearly every day Hamilton bus operator Eric Tuck gets behind the wheel, he says somebody threatens to harm or even kill him. 

While he’s skilled at deescalating situations with irate passengers after 38 years of city bus driving, he says the number of threats and other violent crimes on public transit or at stops have become not only more frequent, but also more serious in recent years.  

Tuck is also Local 107 president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and regularly hears concerns from other operators. 

“We can’t safely operate a bus if we’ve got people coming in and assaulting us, or throwing coffees at us, spitting at us, yelling and screaming at us,” Tuck said. 

“Public transit is by far one of the safest modes of transportation but our operators are exposed to violence on a daily basis.” 

The last decade has seen a dramatic spike in reports of violent crimes on transit systems in major cities across Canada, including Hamilton, according to exclusive Statistics Canada data provided to CBC’s visual investigation unit and the Investigative Journalism Foundation. 

The data is reported by police to StatsCan and doesn’t differentiate between city buses, school buses, GO trains or buses, or stations, shelters or stops, or whether a crime targets passengers or operators. 

In Hamilton, the number of physical assaults reported to police on transit or at stops more than doubled between 2015 and 2024 — increasing by 126 per cent. The number of total violent crimes increased by nearly 70 per cent in the same time period. 

Types of assaults could include common assault, assault with a weapon and aggravated assault. Total violent crimes capture any assaults, homicides, sexual offences, criminal harassment, robbery and uttering threats. The numbers reflect reports of incidents to police, which may or may not have led to criminal charges or convictions. 

The data captures crimes like that of a Hamilton man who livestreamed the assault of a passenger on a Hamilton bus in 2022 and was later convicted.  

Public transportation consultant David Cooper recently told CBC News that the many crises society is grappling with — opioids, mental health and affordability — contribute to more violence in public spaces, including transit. 

He’s called for more mental health and housing support, and funding for more safety measures and enforcement staff. 

While 2024 was the worst year in a decade for reported violent crimes on buses or bus stops in Hamilton, police say 2025 represents an improvement.

This year has seen some high-profile and shocking transit-related crimes, such as the murders of Belinda Sarkoda or Harsimrat Randhawa — both innocent bystanders killed by stray bullets at bus stops.