Update: Darryl Flett, 22, and Curtis Baker Spence, 20, were charged with aggravated assault, robbery, and failing to comply with court order on May 15, according to police.

Two men have been arrested after the assault of a Calgary Transit (CT) bus driver left the driver in critical condition.

The incident happened just after 1 a.m. on May 14 near Falconridge and Castleridge Blvd NE, according to the Calgary Police Service (CPS). 

CPS said they believe the operator was attacked after he did not acknowledge the suspect’s request to drive in a direction opposite from the bus’s designated route. 

The victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition but has since been upgraded to stable, according to CPS.

Police said there was one other person on the bus who tried to intervene in the attack. They were not injured.

“We fully recognize that this is a highly concerning incident for Calgarians, and we are working with our partners at Calgary Transit to ensure all investigative leads are thoroughly examined and that the right supports are available for those directly impacted,” said the CPS’s acting superintendent, Gerry Francois. 

“We remain committed to ensuring safe public spaces, including on transit, by taking action to reduce crime and social disorder through focused collaborative enforcement.”

The Calgary police said that charges are pending against the suspects. More information will be released once they are formally charged.

Lucky to be alive, says transit union president

Mike Mahar, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), said the operator was able to use the phone located in his work station to call emergency medical assistance soon after the attack.

“That operator is still alive today, and it’s luck,” he said. 

Mahar said that violent attacks against transit operators are dishearteningly common. Among physical assaults, he said that verbal assaults in the form of racial insults are also not unheard of. Both of which, he said, happen throughout the day and not just at night. 

He said that the victim has been involved with CT for roughly thirty years, and that it’s not unique for members who have undergone experiences like these to resign shortly after. 

“We’ve had way too many career-ending assaults,” said Mahar. 

“There just needs to be more of something that when these people do this, they pay a price.”

Mahar said that further investments in the form of external cameras — not just ones on the inside and in front of the vehicles — need to be installed in transit units to protect operators and patrons. 

Director of CT, Sharon Fleming, said that their budget is expected to grow by about $4 million in 2026. She said this would permit the installation of safety features like permanent shields that would buffer the amount of interaction happening between bus drivers and guests. 

Fleming said that CT has been continually supportive of their operations staff, but that despite this, safety is not always guaranteed while working as a public servant. 

“Unfortunately, it’s a big city, and there’s a lot of different places and nooks and crannies our operators end up in,” she said. 

“Sometimes bad things happen.”

While acknowledging how operators are often positioned at the front line of unsavoury interactions, Fleming said that CT has been making an effort to coach drivers on topics like de-escalation. 

However, she said that soaring inflation and running costs have made the budget for alleviating this increasingly slim.

Between 2023 and 2024, CT saw a 21 per cent increase in ridership. Fleming said that as this grows, so do safety concerns. In alignment with RouteAhead, CT’s 30-year plan aimed at growing services, she said that they will continue to advocate for more funding from city council.

Elected officials react to the attack

Hours before CPS announced the arrests, representatives of CT presented their annual status report for RouteAhead to city council. Not in attendance was Ward 13 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal, who was in the neighbourhood where the incident happened. 

He said he spoke with drivers who shared their fear of being abused while on the job, and that even with CT offering safety workshops, they don’t feel supported by their employers.

“This is less of a check, it’s a check in the box,” said Dhaliwal. 

“There is no constructive, on-the-ground changes there.” 

Mayor Jyodi Gondek joined other city councillors in delivering sympathy to the victim and their family following the arrests. She said that she calls on the administration to put forward a cloudless transit budget, and for the council to fund safety and service equally. 

“We need to be funding transit in our city appropriately, instead of always looking for ways to cut things out of a service,” said Gondek. 

Additionally, Mahar said that “serious high-profile deterrents” in the shape of lengthy criminal charges should also be attached to perpetrators convicted of attacking bus drivers. He said that bus operators don’t have nearly as much security as LRT workers, and that this could at least give the victims peace of mind. 

On behalf of the ATU, Mahar said they condemn actions of violence like this and that they’re prepared to testify in court when prompted. 

“We will be providing community impact statements by the dozens…and have these people sentenced at a heavier level than they would have otherwise,” he said. 

“Because of not just the impact it has on our member, his family, and the industry, but on the public.”

Police are asking that anybody with information on the incident call (403) 266-1234 or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers via their website.