The bus drivers of the Suhl/Zella-Mehlis Municipal Transport Company (SNG) no longer want to serve on the evening routes to and from Friedberg, where the country’s initial reception center for asylum seekers (EAE) is located, for fear of assault and to protect their physical integrity. This was confirmed on Friday by members of the supervisory board and managing director Eberhard Smolka of our newspaper. The number of incidents with EAE residents has reached a scale that is no longer acceptable and cannot be tolerated by the drivers, he said, backing his staff. “Either the situation will be clarified and remedied, or we will have to stop the line in the evening hours,” he says plainly after consulting the supervisory board.It could not be that drivers were insulted and threatened by groups of drunk and stoned refugees when they asked for tickets. Some could not stand this constant fear and had called in sick. “These are no longer isolated incidents – it happens almost every second evening now,” says Smolka.The spitting at a bus driver in August, the throwing of the fare in pieces of pennies at his feet, or the violent quarrel about putting on a face mask last weekend are only the tip of the iceberg, he says, because many things are no longer reported to the police.”Many drivers have given up and say nothing more. They are happy when their evening rides, where they are often alone in the bus with such chaotic people, come to a smooth end,” says Smolka, describing the situation. This has nothing to do with the origin of the passengers or even racism. “The only thing that matters is safety on the bus.To this day, there has been no response to the cries for help addressed to the state government after the spitting attack and the demand to provide free tickets to the residents of the EAE. “We feel left alone,” Smolka states. The Suhl police force, which is working at the limit, cannot be constantly present in buses. It is possible that the SNG will resort to self-help and have physically strong security men accompany the bus drives in question.
Source: In Südthüringen / politikstube.com/beleidigt-bedroht-busfahrer-in-suhl-wollen-nicht-mehr-auf-der-linie-zur-asyl-erstaufnahme-dienst-tun/