A defendant was sentenced to six years in prison by Songbei District People's Court in Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang province, for endangering public safety with dangerous methods, local media reported on May 8.

The defendant, surnamed Lyv, was identified as having endangered public safety by attacking a bus driver, the report said.

It has become the first case in the city since the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme People's Court issued in January a guideline on punishing those who jeopardize public transportation safety.

On Jan 13, after getting on the suburban No 6 bus, Lyv asked the driver surnamed Hou to inform him before the bus arrived at his stop.

Dissatisfied with Hou's reply, Lyv began to insult the driver and then hit him on the head. Hou couldn't drive normally and he had to stop the bus by the roadside.

Lyv fled the scene and surrendered himself to police two days later.

Prosecutors said Lyv was a recidivist and the behavior constituted a crime on public transport with more than 10 passengers, so he should be given a heavier punishment according to law.

Lyv stated in court that he had no objection to the judgment and would not appeal.