Bastrykin Orders Report on Bus Incident in Pushkin

A confrontation between the driver of bus No. 545 and a young passenger occurred on the evening of January 21 in Pushkin. Footage published online shows the teenager, caught between the vehicle and the sidewalk, fighting back against the driver. According to eyewitnesses, during the conflict, there was a threat to «stab with a knife.»

The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, on January 23, ordered a report on the progress and results of the investigation being conducted in St. Petersburg. The driver could face charges under the article on hooliganism; he has already been suspended from work and is preparing for a road safety commission. The acting chairman of the transport committee, Dmitry Vanchkov, gave a harsh assessment of the man«s actions.

According to the carrier «West-Service», it was not the driver but the teenager who threatened with a knife. The company explained that the incident began when the bus, stopped at a traffic light, had already left the stop, and the driver refused to let the young man and woman board. The young man responded with an offensive gesture, began hitting the windows with his hands and backpack, and after getting into the cabin, continued to behave inappropriately. The cabin camera recorded the driver trying to eject the disruptive passenger, who was kicking the door.