Bus Éireann was forced to halt its Mahon Point Shopping Centre services earlier this week, after the window of a bus was damaged “due to stone throwing and vandalism.”
The window of the 202 bus was damaged on Sunday evening, and Bus Éireann has since confirmed that the incident has been reported to gardaí.
In a service update posted to its website on Sunday, Bus Éireann said: “Due to stone throwing and vandalism, routes 202, 202a and the 212 will NOT be serving Mahon Point Shopping Centre for the duration of the night. Bus Éireann regrets any inconvenience caused.”
Following the disruption, the company said it made the “regrettable but necessary decision” to “slightly curtail” services in order to prevent risks to others.
In a statement to the , a spokesperson said: “The safety of our passengers and staff is of paramount importance to Bus Éireann, and any incidents reported are taken very seriously and are fully investigated.
According to Bus Éireann, there are “procedures in place” for drivers to deal with antisocial or obstructive behaviour on board.
However, the company said it is “currently examining”, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, further improving on-bus CCTV functionality to “deter misbehaviour.”
“We continually reevaluate our security protocols and work with our partners to ensure the highest levels of safety for our passengers, staff and members of the public,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the revealed just last week that hundreds of services on some of Cork city’s busiest bus routes are to be cut, casting doubt on plans to expand the network next year.
Just 24 hours after the National Transport Authority heralded the fact more than one million passengers are now availing of public transport every day across the country, details emerged of a briefing given by Bus Éireann to Cork City’s politicians on its plans to cut services across its high-frequency routes 202, 202A, 205, 208 and the 24-hour 220.
From October 20, buses on the 202 and 202A routes will run every half an hour, down from every 20 minutes, Monday to Friday; buses on the 205 and 220 will run every 20 minutes, down from every 15 minutes, Monday to Friday; and buses on the 208 will run every 15 minutes, down from every 10, Monday to Friday, with similar changes to the Saturday and Sunday timetables.
The company said the cuts are temporary but it could not say when the services might be restored.
