A brute pummeled an MTA bus driver who refused to give him a free ride in Queens, cops said Sunday.

The suspect got onto the bus at Merrick Boulevard and 220th Street in Laurelton around 10:40 p.m. Dec. 14 and demanded a free ride, cops said.

When the 32-year-old driver refused, the assailant repeatedly socked him in the face before bolting north on Merrick Boulevard.

The driver was taken to Franklin General Hospital on Long Island in stable condition.

The suspect is described as between 20 and 24 years old, about 6 feet tall and 185 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, blue sweat pants with white stripes going down the side and white sneakers.