A bus driver was suspended today as he is being investigated for allegedly grabbing a passenger from the neck and spitting in her face.

The passenger, Sacha Kinser, said she was catching a bus from Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq when she was assaulted.

The bus, she said, arrived 20 minutes late and stopped for a passenger to disembark.

Ms Kinser said that as she proceeded to step on the bus, the driver shouted at her to get off, saying the bus was full.

Confused, she gestured at the passenger who had just stepped down and told the driver that there was clearly space for her. But he forced her to get off the bus and she got angry.

“My anger provoked him and he followed me off the bus onto the pavement, grabbed my neck, and spit in my face,” Ms Kinser said.

She said that she filed a police report and after spending the whole morning at the police station, Transport Malta told the officer that the CCTV cameras on that particular bus were out of order.

She said she was currently looking for witnesses so that charges should be pressed.

Meanwhile, Malta Public Transport commercial director Daniel Grech said that the company took such allegations extremely seriously and it immediately suspended the driver pending an internal investigation.

It was true that the CCTV cameras on the bus in question were out of order, but the company would also be contacting the customer to hear her side of the story. In fact, several attempts to get in touch with Ms Kinser had already been made, Mr Grech said.

He added that the investigation should be concluded within a matter of days.