A bus drivers' union says safety screens on Auckland buses can't come soon enough

A driver has been left with stitches and a broken tooth, after being punched by a passenger who refused to pay his fare, on the number 18 bus in Avondale.

Auckland Transport spokesperson Rachel Cara, says they're planning to retrofit safety screens for 80 percent of the fleet over the next two years.

But Auckland Tramways Union president Gary Froggatt says it's been in the works for 10 years, but there's been no progress.

He says it's taking too long to retrofit the existing fleet, and that needs to hurry up so these incidents can stop.