Vehicles abandoned after fight between bus driver, villagers

A FIGHT erupted early yesterday between villagers of Hanuabada in Port Moresby and relatives of a bus driver who blamed them for damaging his vehicle.
Villagers told The National that Motu-Koita Assembly (MKA) chairman Dadi Toka Jr and Motu-Koitabu leaders restored peace with police assistance.
A MKA statement on its Facebook page said police would investigate the matter.
Zone One police commander Fred Tundu confirmed that they would investigate.
A statement from police said the relatives of the bus driver returning from Hanuabada village later allegedly attacked three Road Transport Authority officers at Ela Beach.
“After a pursuit, the Western Highlanders abandoned three of their buses at the Waigani tunnel and fled, causing a traffic congestion.”
Police later removed the buses from the Waigani tunnel.
Hanuabada villagers claimed that the bus driver and his checker had abandoned the vehicle on the roadside when they saw a police checkpoint ahead.
When the driver and his sidekick returned to retrieve the bus, they found that it was damaged.
The villagers said the two mobilised their relatives and started the fight with the villagers blaming them for causing the damage.
A video of the incident obtained by The National showed the two factions separated by a small fence hurling stones at each other.