One of the Arrecife Bus drivers has requested the presence of security personnel on the island's buses to avoid fights and assaults. This request has been reiterated after the latest altercation that took place this past Wednesday, around 10:00 p.m., on the last trip of the bus that connects Arrecife with Tinajo.
According to the account that La Voz has had access to, one of the passengers got into an argument with a group of migrant minors in the middle of a bus full of people. The video that this editorial staff has had access to shows how this adult passenger confronted two minors and berated them, while gesturing with his hands and calling one of them a "clown."
Meanwhile, some of the occupants were recording with their cell phones, and in the background, a voice can be heard saying "get him out by the neck." At one point in the discussion, the man mentioned his name and asked one of them what his name was, alluding to the difference in nationality. "My name is..., what's your name?" he commented. The group of boys reproached his attitude. "You are very racist," one of them said.
At that point, the physical confrontation arose. One of the minors grabbed the head of the agitated user, who pressed his body closer and closer to the minor's. Meanwhile, several people tried to mediate without success. "That's it, man. This is unnecessary," some people shouted, as can be heard in the video. Meanwhile, a mother began to berate the adult and hit him in the face, asking him to stop because in the middle of the scuffle, he was about to fall on her young son, who was sitting in one of the bus seats.
After minutes of tension, two of the minors and the adult got into a fight, while the rest of the bus users tried to move towards the back seats. After that, the adult left the bus.
According to a witness told La Voz, the Police had to intervene to control the situation. "There were six or seven patrols that arrived," he explained. This same witness has pointed out that there are difficulties in coexistence in public transport because some users play music loudly and bother the rest.
Continuous complaints about altercations on the bus
According to a bus driver, these types of altercations are increasingly frequent on the island's lines. At the same time, they have denounced that the connection between Arrecife and Tinajo has "become very conflictive." In this way, the group has asked the Cabildo of Lanzarote to provide "an immediate solution to the situation." Meanwhile, they have demanded that "exclusive transport" be established for migrant minors.
Thus, the Councilor for Social Welfare of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Marci Acuña, has explained to La Voz that it is still necessary to clarify what has happened on this occasion, but that it is the corresponding entity that must initiate the investigation procedures.
