Philippe Monguillot was left brain-dead after the attack last weekend. Has family has confirmed he died yesterday. Huge marches were held in France in solidarity with the driver, who was attacked in Bayonne in south-west France.
His daughter Marie said today: “We decided to let him go. The doctors were in favour and we were as well.”
The 59-year-old was attacked last Sunday after he asked three passengers to wear masks in line with coronavirus rules across France.
Two men have been charged with attempted murder and two others with non-assistance to a person in danger while a fifth person has been charged with attempting to hide a suspect.
The local prosecutor’s office said the pair facing attempted murder charges were aged 22 and 23 and were previously known to the police.
Bayonne prosecutor Jerome Bourrier said he would ask for the charges to be changed to take into account his death.
Mr Monguillot’s colleagues have refuses to work since the attack but have agreed to return on Monday under reinforced security.
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The local operator operator said this would include a security agent aboard the so-called Trambus, long buses which serve Bayonne and its surrounding area in southwestern France’s Basque country.
French interior minister Gerald Darmanin was traveling to the city today to discuss security and meet drivers.
In England, face coverings are compulsory on public transport and in hospitals but are only advised in other enclosed public spaces where social distancing is not possible.
But Boris Johnson has hinted he could make wearing masks mandatory in shops in as he urged Britons to go back to work if they can.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to be “stricter” on insisting people wear mouth and nose coverings in confined spaces where they are meeting people they do not normally see.
Downing Street is understood to be looking at the issue, amid suggestions new rules could be introduced within a few weeks.
Mr Johnson was pictured wearing a face covering for the first time during the pandemic while visiting businesses in his Uxbridge constituency yesterday.
And in an online question and answer session with the public, he said: “I do think we need to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces where they are meeting people they don’t normally meet.
“We are looking at ways of making sure that people really do have face coverings in shops, for instance, where there is a risk of transmission.”