A bus driver was attacked Sunday night by a mace-wielding passenger who shattered the partition for the driver's compartment, Israel Hayom reported.
The incident took place near the city of Efrat, on a route 381 bus, after the passenger boarded the bus and began arguing with the driver and screaming at him.
The bus driver stopped 20 meters later, and requested that the passenger disembark. In response, the passenger violently attacked him. At the time of the attack, there were several passengers on the bus.
The driver was evacuated to a local hospital with injuries to his head and eyes, and a complaint was filed with the police.
In response to the attack, the Koah La'ovdim labor union's Union of Transportation Committees put the route 381 buses on strike until 12:30a.m.
Tamar Ohana, head of the transportation department at the Koah La'ovdim labor union, emphasized to Israel Hayom, "It is unthinkable that every attack on a driver joins the statistics. Anyone who thinks that we can stop the passengers' violence by separating the drivers from the passengers is mistaken."
"There is no choice but to implement severe punishments against those who attack drivers, exactly like we do when for those who attack doctors or police officers. We will continue to fight until drivers are recognized as professional workers."