The TTC driver at the centre of an assault allegation will be staying off the road for the time being, TTC chair Adam Giambrone said Thursday.

"We've taken action to remove him from his post, and of course the ongoing police investigation will do much to determine the course of events," he said.

But Bob Kinnear, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, told CTV Toronto he thinks the driver will eventually be exonerated.

"We're optimistic that throughout the investigation, that everything will come out favourably for the operator," he said.

On Wednesday, a fare dispute between the operator and a pair of teenagers escalated into a physical confrontation that left a window on the Lawrence Avenue bus cracked, allegedly because the driver violently pushed Ricardo Jardim's head into the window.

As a result, Toronto Police have charged driver Bereket Hagos, a 30-year-old Toronto resident, with assault. He will appear in court on May 25. Hagos has four years experience with the TTC.

Jardim and his girlfriend Laura Vazquez have hired a lawyer to represent them.

One passenger said he did witness the verbal confrontation between the three individuals over the fare that preceded the assault, but he didn't see any violence. The driver ordered all other passengers off the bus at one point.

The TTC has given security camera footage of the incident to the police.

In recent months, the image of the TTC and its employees have come under attack for a series of incidents that have crystallized rider discontent with the quality of the service.

The union itself has held one of three town hall meetings to hear the public's views. A second one is coming up this Sunday at 1 p.m. at Stephen Leacock Collegiate at 2450 Birchmount Rd. in Scarborough.

"I don't think this has done anything to our image except emphasize the fact that we face conflict each and every day out there just simply for doing our jobs," Kinnear said.

Some riders interviewed by CTV Toronto suggested the incident does add to the TTC's image woes.

One driver said the vast majority of his colleagues do a good job on a day-in, day-out basis.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness