One man is in custody after a TransLink driver was sexually assaulted while operating her bus in Burnaby last week, Transit Police said.
Police said a man approached the driver multiple times before asking if she would like to go for drinks with him after work. As she was declining his offer, the man allegedly reached his hand in between her legs and fondled her.
The driver pushed his hand away and pulled an alarm while driving the bus into the bus loop at Production Way SkyTrain Station. Shortly after, the man was apprehended at Moody Station and arrested.
Mohammed Sahib, 40, has now been charged with sexual assault. He was also brought in on an existing warrant from Burnaby RCMP for theft under $5,000.
He’ll next appear in Vancouver Provincial Court on Jan. 30 at 9:30 a.m.
The driver is being commended by her colleagues for her handling of the situation.
“I commend this bus operator for her presence of mind in an extremely difficult situation” said Transit Police Chief Doug LePard. “By calmly alerting the communications centre and maintaining control of her multi-ton moving vehicle, she ensured the safety of her passengers, pedestrians and other motorists in the area. She provided us with an excellent description of the suspect, in a timely manner, which allowed us to effect a quick arrest.”
Transit Police say there were 101 assaults on bus drivers in 2016, adding the number is “far too many.”