Visually impaired teenager assaulted and dragged off bus

Constable Grant Nalder from Wellington police said the boy, accompanied by his brother and a friend, got onto a Stagecoach bus at the corner of Mercer St and The Parade in Island Bay about 9.45pm Monday.

He produced a "blind person" bus pass and sat next to the front door. The bus driver did not accept that the bus pass belonged to the boy, asked him to get off and refused to drive on, Mr Nalder said.

After a few minutes of discussion between the victim and the driver a passenger who was seated near the back of the bus approached the victim.

"This passenger grabbed the victim by the shoulder and hit him two times on the head before dragging him off the bus," Mr Nalder said.

"This passenger then returned to his seat and the bus drove on."

Police want to hear from anyone on board the Wellington bound bus at the time or who has information about the identity of the offender. He is described as Caucasian, aged 18-19, 5'8", of skinny build and clean shaven. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans and was accompanied by three blonde females.

Meanwhile, Stagecoach was investigating the incident, Wellington area manager Eddie McCaffrey said.

"We've currently asked the driver for his version of events and we're waiting to take it further once we've got his version of what happened," he told NZPA.

"We certainly will be following through."

Mr McCaffrey said visually impaired or blind people were issued with a bus pass.
"My understanding is this boy has got a pass, and there's no reason why really a driver shouldn't take that at face value," he said.

"My understanding is with this boy there is potential for the drivers to question it...I haven't got any information on why that would be the case, perhaps there isn't a clear indication of any impairment," he said.

"But at the end of the day obviously there is an acceptable way of questioning it and an unacceptable way, and that will form part of our investigation with the driver."

The incident came less than a week after a Human Rights Commission report into accessible public land transport found many disabled people suffered "systematic discrimination".

The Accessible Journey report recommended comprehensive mandatory accessibility standards for buses, trains, footpaths, bus stops, shelters, stations and other transport infrastructure.