Blind bus passenger assaulted

The woman was was too shaken to tell police about the assault until the next morning. Photo / Martin Sykes

A blind woman who was elbowed in the face for taking too long to position her guide dog on a bus fears her attacker will strike again.

The 36-year-old, who does not want to be named, had finished work and boarded the Bay Hopper at Tauranga's Wharf St stop to get home to Greerton.

She sat down and was pulling her 6-year-old guide dog Rua in from the aisle to lie him on the floor, which usually takes "five or six seconds".

A woman who had also just boarded the bus with a friend started yelling and telling her to get out of the way.

She then pushed past the blind woman and elbowed her in the right temple. The attacker's friend also pushed past, and the pair carried on to a seat.

Although the woman - who went blind as a teenager because of a genetic disorder - did not require medical attention, she was too shaken to tell police until the next morning.

"I just sort of froze, couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything," she said. "I would hate her to do the same thing to an elderly lady and knock her over. There was some force behind it. I wasn't hurt and the dog wasn't hurt, but it was rude and inappropriate."

Based on the offender's voice and the conversation she was having with her friend, she believes the woman was white and in her late teens or early 20s. The victim is sometimes able to make out colour and movement and believes her attacker had fair hair and was wearing dark clothing.

She knows the woman got off the bus on Fraser St, near Hampton Tce, because she counts the stops to her home.

Constable Adam Ramsey of Tauranga police has reviewed closed-circuit television footage from near the Wharf St stop, but the camera was not pointing in the direction of the bus. There were no video cameras on the vehicle. He is waiting to speak to the bus driver.

Mr Ramsey urged anyone on the bus about 5.15pm on June 25 who may have seen a woman fitting the victim's description to come forward.

"It's a fairly minor assault but just the nature of it is quite callous given the victim's condition."

Mike Furniss, the bus company's logistics manager, said he had spoken to the driver, who was not aware of the incident.

Anyone with information on the assault is asked to call Mr Ramsey on (07) 577- 4300.