The bus sector says violence on buses isn't rising, and Monday's fatal attack on an East Auckland bus is an extremely rare event

59-year-old Sefo Leger died, and another victim required hand surgery, after the attack.

Bus and Coach Association Chief Executive Delaney Myers says this attack is an horrific outlier.

She says attacks on drivers have actually reduced this year, and there's a range of safety tools in place, including CCTV and driver protection screens.

Myers says anti-social behaviour sometimes happens on buses, supermarkets and other public spaces, but that's really a societal issue.