In Ufa, a minibus passenger who refused to pay with a card attacked the driver, struck the bus window with a hand, and picked up a stone to throw. This account comes from a report on the Telegram channel affiliated with TV Channel UTV.
The event happened on bus route 163 on the day prior to the report. After the driver declined to accept the card payment, the passenger was dropped off. In response, the passenger hurled insults at the driver, then struck the glass with a clenched fist, and retrieved a stone from the ground to fling into the bus. Such behavior highlights the tension that can arise when passengers push for nonstandard payment methods in urban transport settings.
A representative from the Ufa-Line carrier said to UTV that every bus is equipped with a terminal for non-cash payments. When a driver declines to process card payments, a passenger can exit the bus without paying the fare. The carrier asserted that it would hold the driver accountable in this case, underscoring the complexity of enforcing fare collection policies while ensuring safety on public transport. This incident also raises questions about how fare-aid technologies are implemented and how drivers are trained to handle confrontations without compromising safety.
Across the country, similar tensions have surfaced in different regions. In the Sverdlovsk region, reports describe disputes among drivers on the road, illustrating that conflicts related to fare collection and passenger expectations are not isolated to a single city. There have also been incidents in the Moscow region where episodes involving fireworks have affected road safety and public order. These events contribute to a broader conversation about urban transit security, passenger rights, and the responsibilities of transit operators to protect staff while delivering reliable service in diverse and often crowded environments.