The video was taken last night on a No 70 bus near Auckland City Hospital in Grafton. The witness told the Herald the alleged assailant appeared to have taken exception to the number of Asian people on the bus.
She allegedly pushed one man and spat on another after yelling at passengers to “go back to [their] own country”, the witness told the Herald.
The witness to last night’s incident said she kept quiet, unsure whether the woman was armed.
“If this crazy girl is going around like this every day, it will get worse. Either someone’s going to fight back against her or she’s going to do something even crazier.”
The incident began with the abusive woman counting as passengers got onto the bus outside the University of Auckland. The witness initially did not understand what the woman was doing.
“I was thinking, ‘Why is she counting?’, then when I was sitting down she got up to 11 and she said, ‘There’s too many f***ing Asians here’. She was swearing and everything, and she’s like, ‘Go back to your country’.
Monday's incident comes after a 39-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly beating a Chinese-New Zealand schoolboy with a metal rod on a bus in Pakuranga last month, which police have called a hate-motivated crime.
“I’ve lived here for 36 years and ... I’ve known people to make comments that are a little bit racist, but not like that.
“I know it has happened before, but it’s just going to get worse if nothing is done,” she said.
She wanted security guards posted on buses to ensure similar incidents did not occur.
She also questioned whether court sentences for racially and physically abusive offenders were strict enough.
The Herald has approached police for comment.
Auckland Transport (AT) said it was aware of the incident and was investigating. AT’s group manager of public transport operations Rachel Cara said: “People have a right to travel on our network without being subjected to this type of unacceptable behaviour.”
Cara said buses were fitted with security cameras, GPS and panic buttons that could record sound which were connected directly to bus depots.
Depots alerted to distress “can quickly respond/guide emergency services to intervene”, Cara said.
“We continue to work closely with police, other agencies and communities to improve safety on public transport,” Cara said.
“Fortunately, most public transport customers are respectful of others, but these isolated incidents are concerning. Our busy public transport network moves hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders, and we operate over 13,500 bus trips each day.
“We encourage customers to let us know anything they observe or experience on the public transport network. They can contact us anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 4030, or via the AT website or contact centre.”
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
