The London Transit Commission (LTC) has confirmed a woman has been banned from its buses after a video appearing to show a driver being assaulted by a maskless rider began making the rounds on social media.
Video of the incident, which took place on September 24, was shared online earlier this week and shows the driver calmly talking to a female rider who was not wearing a face covering.
"You're moving around, people are wearing masks and you don't have a mask," the driver can be heard saying in the video.
The rider, becoming visibly upset, starts to claim as long as everyone else on the bus is wearing a mask she is fine.
"Listen, I have a Ph.D ma'am. What do you do for a living? Ok, then go drive the bus. I came on the bus I had a mask," the rider shouts at the driver.
She then gets up from her seat and allegedly strikes the driver as the video comes to an end.
"I can confirm that police were called to the scene and the passenger was charged," said Kelly Paleczny, general manager of London Transit. "The passenger has also been banned from LTC services as a result of the incident."
London police said the woman had been switching seats frequently throughout the ride which led to the driver pulling over the bus to speak to the woman. Another rider on the bus intervened after the bus driver was struck and was also assaulted, police added. That individual did not remain on scene to provide a statement to officers.
A 44-year-old London woman has been charged with one count of assault as a result of the incident. She is scheduled to appear in London court on December 14.
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