Police say a Winnipeg Transit bus was in a dangerous situation as passengers and the driver were threatened by an unruly passenger demanding the bus drive faster.

After midnight on Tuesday, a woman, whom the Winnipeg Police Service says appeared intoxicated, boarded a bus at Osborne Street and Morley Avenue. As they drove along the road, the passenger began acting unruly, agitating the other passengers.

The woman then began making her way up the bus, throwing food at the driver. She was demanding the driver go faster.

The driver kept driving when the woman pulled out a syringe. Removing the cap, she told the driver she would stab him.

Next, the woman got closer, grabbed the steering wheel, now swerving the bus on the road.

Further down the road, at Main Street and Pioneer Avenue, police caught up with the bus, taking the 30-year-old suspect into custody at around 12:45 a.m.

The passengers and driver are uninjured.

The woman is facing:

  • Assault with a Weapon
  • Utter Threats Cause Death or Bodily Harm
  •  Mischief Under $5,000/Obstruct Enjoyment

The suspect has since been released on an Undertaking, as mandated by the Criminal Code.

In a statement unrelated to this incident, the City of Winnipeg says they are increasing safety precautions on buses. In a pilot project, the city is using a live camera feed from the bus, which will be viewed by Control Centre supervisors to determine if emergency services are needed.

"The pilot project will take place over a six-month period, includes a total of 50 buses, and involves the use of existing LTE modem technology on those buses which allows the bus cameras to connect to the Transit Control Centre in real-time in emergency situations," the city says.

This was a recommendation from the Transit Advisory Committee, a group of people who advise on transit service accessibility and policies.