The brother of an Auckland bus driver who was stabbed on Saturday said the victim regularly dealt with racial abuse.
It came as unions were calling for better protection for drivers - including increased security and protective cabins.
The stabbing happened on Saturday evening, following an altercation with a passenger. The victim is currently in hospital in stable condition.
Speaking with Lloyd Burr Live, the brother, Paul, said his heart stopped when he found out about the news.
"You're looking at a couple of mils [millimetres] away from the lungs and it could have gone any way… You really don't have words," Paul said.
"Thoughts and prayers are the only things that you can do. Hope is the only thing that you hold onto in situations like this."
Paul told Burr his brother has been driving buses for over 10 years, describing him as a "good operator" yet someone who has received verbal abuse many times.
"That's the norm on most weeks… People swearing and speaking out loud and all the rest of it," Paul said.
"They got to the point where they were pretty much told to try and block it out, block it out with your left ear if you can, put a plug in there or whatever.
"But it's the racial stuff that really gets under anyone's skin or anyone's blood."
Listen to the full interview between Paul and Lloyd Burr above.
You can also download the full interview on the Lloyd Burr Live podcast, and listen on the go.
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