Conductor stabbed in head over bus fare

Dispute with passenger leads to bloody incident

André Williams, STAR Writer

A bus conductor had to be rushed to hospital last Saturday after he was stabbed repeatedly by a man who allegedly refused to pay his fare.

THE STAR understands that the conductor spent close to two days at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) in Kingston, undergoing treatment for the near fatal wound.

Information reaching our news team is that the conductor, who operates the No.81 bus, which plies the Waterhouse to downtown route, had a dispute with a male passenger over bus fare, which is $100.

The incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

An eyewitness told THE STAR, "The conductor ask di yute for his fare and den dem start argue caw di yute nah give the conductor nuh good argument. When the yute reach him stop, people start give him way. As him reach the conductor, him grab him head, then tek out him knife and stab stab the ductor in him head and then he ran away from the scene."

The female eyewitness continued, "It was a bloody scene, he was losing a lot of blood. Di yute dem fi easy demself cause bus fare a $100 and more time passengers along this route give dem $50 and dem still tek it."

Our news team was also told that the driver had to empty the bus, along Spanish Town Road where the incident occurred, to rush with his conductor to the nearest hospital.

The St Andrew South police confirmed reports of the incident.

THE STAR was told that up to yesterday evening the suspect had not been located.

Investigations are ongoing.