Canberra bus strike: A day of chaos for commuters

Canberra's usually reliable bus system ground to a halt on Friday, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and businesses struggling to cope. The strike, sparked by a string of assaults on bus drivers, highlighted the growing problem of violence against public transport workers.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) said it had taken the drastic step of calling a snap strike after a driver was allegedly king-hit at the Woden interchange on Thursday night. The union said the driver was left with a bloodied face and a suspected broken nose.

"This is the last straw," said TWU ACT secretary Klaus Pinkas. "Our members are being abused, threatened and assaulted on a daily basis. We can't keep putting their safety at risk."

The strike caused chaos across the city, with commuters left stranded at bus stops and businesses forced to close or operate at reduced capacity.

"It's a nightmare," said city worker Sarah Jones. "I've been waiting for a bus for over an hour and I'm still not sure when I'm going to get to work."

The strike also had a major impact on tourism, with many visitors left stranded at the airport and unable to get to their hotels or attractions.

"It's a disaster," said tourist Jenny Smith. "We've come all the way from England and now we're stuck at the airport. We don't know what to do."

The ACT government called on the TWU to end the strike and return to negotiations.

"We understand the concerns of bus drivers, but we believe there are better ways to resolve this issue than through industrial action," said ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel.

The TWU said it was willing to return to negotiations, but only if the government committed to addressing the issue of violence against bus drivers.

"We're not going to end this strike until we get a commitment from the government that they will take this issue seriously," said Pinkas.

The strike is expected to continue for at least another day, with the TWU warning that it could escalate if the government does not meet their demands.

In the meantime, commuters are being advised to find alternative ways to get around.

"We're urging people to carpool, walk or ride a bike if they can," said Steel. "We're also working with other transport providers to increase the number of services available."