(JULIE WHITTET / iNFOnews.ca)
July 17, 2013 - 11:27 AM
KAMLOOPS - A Kamloops man accused of assaulting a bus driver may have to find a new mode of transportation.
Bradley Smith is expected to go to trial in August after being charged with mischief and assault in connection with an incident on a Kamloops bus December 2012.
B.C. Transit Corporate Spokesperson Meribeth Burton said if Smith is convicted, the court may ban him from taking local transit, however B.C. Transit also has that power.
"We can also administer our own ban if we choose to," Burton said.
In a twist of fate, Smith was charged after initially accusing the driver of purposefully missing his stop and 'kidnapping' him in a video posted to YouTube, garnering over 60,000 views. In the one minute video, the bus driver is seen walking towards transit passengers and asking them to calm down before opening the doors.
Smith could not be reached for comment, however his employer at the time, a men's clothing store in Aberdeen, said Smith left about five months ago 'to seek other employment.'
The driver was temporarily suspended with pay until an investigation by RCMP, B.C. Transit and First Canada exonerated him with the help of two witnesses who came forward.
B.C. Transit Corporate Spokesperson Maureen Sheehan said imposing a prohibition — initially a one year probationary period — from taking transit depends on what happens at Smith's trial.
While only a handful of people have ever been banned for life from taking the bus in B.C., Sheehan said safety for transit employees and users are priority.
"The decision would be made in consultation with B.C. Transit in the best interests of safety," Sheehan said.
To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.
A YouTube video filmed on a Kamloops bus in December has lead to charges against a Kamloops man.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013