The London Assembly has demanded that the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, apologises over the sacking of Metroline bus driver Mark Hehir, who chased down a thief to return a passengers stolen necklace.
The driver was branded a “hero” by the assembly members and last week they passed a unanimous motion calling for an investigation into his dismissal, says ITV.com. The motion called for Sir Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to “apply pressure to Metroline to reinstate Mark or provide appropriate compensation”, and to “set out clear guidance for transport workers protecting passengers.”
Mark was fired by Metroline after he chased a thief who stole a passenger’s necklace and punched them- which he says was in self-defence.
The vote comes after Mark said it was “disappointing” that the mayor had been silent on the matter. The motion was brough forward by London Assembly member, Keith Prince. He said:
“This is not about encouraging reckless behaviour.
“It is about whether we are comfortable with a system that punishes frontline workers for stepping in when crime happens right in front of them.
“By supporting this motion unanimously, the Assembly has sent a clear message that public concern, common sense, and fairness still matter.”
Shadow justice minister Dr Kieran Mullan, shadow transport minister Richard Holden and Ms Hall wrote to Sir Khan to demand “serious consideration of reinstatement or appropriate compensation.”
The Mayor of London will have to formally respond to the assembly but does not have to accept the recommendations to reinstate Mr Hehir and provide compensation.
More than 135,000 people have signed a petition in support of the bus driver, which was launched after an employment tribunal upheld Metroline’s decision to sack the bus drive and more than £40,000 has been raised for the former bus driver.
A TFL spokesperson said: “Bus drivers in London are employed directly by the individual bus operating companies and each operator is responsible for the employment of its staff.”
(Picture: Yay Images)
