A Tauranga bus driver is extending his thanks to members of the public who helped him after allegedly suffering an assault 'about three weeks ago”.

Bryan Simpson says he was attacked by a man who was 'obviously drunk” wearing a spider man mask.

Passengers on the bus responded by quickly coming to his aid. Two men Bryan describes as 'amazing gentlemen” took the man wearing a spider man mask out of the bus following the incident.

Another passenger, Tauranga Girls' College international student Sunny Chung, responded by standing with him while he was in shock, and offering to get him a drink.

Bryan says the situation unfolded 'very quickly”.

'I was doing my last run, coming into the mount shopping centre near Mount Drury. As I was approaching I saw a guy stumbling around who looked drunk,” says Bryan.

'I let people out through the back door and he came in and sat down with some girls at the back. I went down and told him he had to leave and I got some bad words back from him. He wasn't moving, so I went to the front of the bus to call my control and turned the bus off.

'While I was trying to get control, I was facing forwards the front windows when he charged up behind me and stuck the back of my head. I was flattened out on the steering wheel trying to figure out where I was, and went into shock.

'This could have happened to the best driver.”

Bryan says despite the hard hit, he didn't feel any pain.

'I heard a bottle hit the ground after he hit me. I'm guessing he either hit me with his fist or the bottle, but at the time of the event I couldn't talk.

'It was really heartening though with the response of this situation. One girl from Tauranga Girls' College named Sunny Chung came and sat with me when the guy was being taken away from members of the public.

'She said ‘are you all right' and stayed next to me even when I couldn't communicate. She stuck with me with her friend and got me a coffee when I stepped out of the bus. She was amazing.”Tauranga Girls' College student Sunny Chung was the "guest of honour" at an event held at the NZ Bus Greerton depot to celebrate her courageous act. Photo: Supplied.

Bryan says some other passengers on the bus were 'fantastic” in supporting him during the event.

'Another two gentlemen dragged him outside of the bus and took him away. It is really heartening to know there are good people out there who are looking out for their bus drivers.”

Bryan says the best response from the public during a bus assault is to act the same way as Sunny and the two men did, but to 'not put themselves in any danger”.

'The best way is to just help in some way or get the person off of the bus. These things happen so quickly. Being positive towards the driver is really good, those things really help.”

Bryan says when he saw the response from the passengers he felt 'really good”.

'NZ Bus at the Greerton Depot had a thank you for Sunny afterwards with the Tauranga Girls' College principal and gave a presentation to her. It was the first time we've ever acknowledged a member of the public outside the company.”

Trainer Stephen Webster, left, NZBUS general manager Bay of Plenty Ranga Arachchige, bus driver Bryan Simpson, Tauranga Girls' College student Sunny Chung, Tauranga Girls' College Principal Tara Kanji, NZBUS Tauranga manager George Rhind, and Bus Operator Jay Park. Photo: Supplied.

Bryan says overall, despite this assault, bus crime is on a 'downswing” after security guards were hired at bus stops earlier this year.

'There has been talk about youth crime near the bus stops a few months ago, but that has really quietened down. Things are looking a lot better at the moment.

'Drivers have to be really tactful about how we approach situations of conflict and how we ask people to get off the bus. There has been talks of getting security guards on the buses as the female drivers feel the most vulnerable at the moment.”

NZ Bus Bay of Plenty general manager of service delivery Ranga Arachchige says he held the event with Sunny as he 'wanted to let the community and bus drives know there are good people out there”.

'There is a lot of negativity going on at the moment. We wanted the public in Tauranga to know that there are role models out there. We also wanted the drivers to know there are good kids out there too who are able to help.”