HONOLULU -- A city bus driver accused of playing a video game while operating a bus will not lose his job.

The driver will be suspended without pay, but will not be fired and that really disappointed the woman who first complained about the incident.

Denita Waltz shot cell phone video that showed the bus driver during a trip from Pearl City to Punchbowl in late September. She said he was playing a video game while driving the bus.

"He should have been fired, flat out," Waltz said.

Sources tell KITV bus management did not fire the veteran driver, but suspended him without pay for about two weeks instead.

Sources said the driver denied driving the bus while playing his video game. Bus policy bans drivers from using electronic devices of any kind while operating a city buses.

"We could have been killed or seriously injured and then what would the bus company have done? Suspend him again?" Waltz said.

Sources close to the case said bus managers took the driver's otherwise-good record in his 18 years as a driver into account in deciding he should be suspended and not fired.

Also, sources said some bus passengers turned in a petition on the driver's behalf and the bus had recognized him as a "driver of the month" this fall.

But Waltz said none of that matters.

"I have no respect for that gentleman anymore, no respect. I have no respect that the bus company took that in consideration of 18 years. Eighteen years? Big deal. He could have killed us," Waltz said.

Bus company president Roger Morton declined to comment on the case, saying that he can't discuss discipline of employees because personnel matters must be kept confidential.

Another bus driver, Searle Pestana, was arrested in August on suspicion of driving under the influence while driving a city bus in Waimanalo. Police said his bus side-swiped a tree and officers found an open bottle of rum under his seat.

His blood alcohol was twice the legal limit, and he told KITV: "I guess I'm an alcoholic but it took this incident to really bring it to focus."

Pestana was put on unpaid leave and expected to be fired after a 36-year career as a bus driver.