Bus passenger hurt in car collision

A bus passenger was thrown from his seat and injured when the driver was forced to slam on the brakes and drive on to the footpath in Mount Maunganui on Saturday.

The Bay Hopper bus was travelling towards Maunganui Rd in the bus lane on Hewletts Rd, when a car stopped in front of it, forcing the driver to take evasive action.

The driver of the car was believed to be taking the vehicle for a test drive at the time.

Emergency services were called to the scene about 3pm and Mt Maunganui St John operations team manager Gary Bishell said the two vehicles had still collided.

"There was minor damage to the car and the bus.

"The only injury was to the passenger on the bus who was thrown forward off his feet," Mr Bishell said.

A 57-year-old Hamilton man, who was riding the bus at the time, suffered a minor cut to his head and was taken to Tauranga Hospital by St John for treatment.

Police were at the scene but were yesterday unable to say whether the driver of the car would face any changes.

In January, a 16-year-old was injured when his car collided with a Bay Hopper bus in busy traffic on the same stretch of road.

The crash happened just after 4pm when it appeared the teen attempted to pull out into the traffic from Turners Auctions.

The teen was treated for a bruise to the side of his head.

In March last year a Bay Hopper bus and car collided at the intersection of Fourth Ave and Cameron Rd in Tauranga but no one was hurt.

No one was available from Go Bus, which owns the Bay Hopper buses, to comment on the incident yesterday.