A bus firm was forced to pull services from areas of Dundee after mindless thugs threw missiles at their vehicles, leaving one driver injured.
The anti-social behaviour began at around 6.30pm in the Whitfield area of the city which has previously been plagued by youths lobbing objects at moving vehicles.
Xplore Dundee were forced to stop operating on the routes 9/10 (outer circle) and 33 (city centre to The Crescent) after serious safety concerns were raised on Wednesday evening.
❗ There are further reports of objects (ranging from eggs to fireworks) being thrown at buses in areas across Dundee. This is dangerous and careless behaviour. It has resulted in a bus being temporarily withdrawn from services 28/29, due to a driver being injured.
— Xplore Dundee (@XploreDundeeBus) October 31, 2018
It is understood that troublemakers had been throwing “missiles” at the vehicles including eggs and fireworks on Lothian Crescent.
The firm later said that another vehicle had been temporarily withdrawn from the 28/29 service which operates from Douglas to Ninewells Hospital and Myrekirk ASDA.
They claimed a driver had been injured but did not reveal exactly where on the route his vehicle had been targeted.
A post of their Facebook page said: “There are further reports of objects (ranging from eggs to fireworks) being thrown at buses in areas across Dundee.
“This is dangerous and careless behaviour. It has resulted in a bus being temporarily withdrawn from services 28/29, due to a driver being injured.
“Our drivers deserve to work in safe conditions, and our passengers deserve to travel safely too. All incidents of anti-social behaviour are being raised with local police.”
❗ Due to anti-social behaviour in Whitfield (vehicles being struck by missiles) this evening, services 9/10 | 33 have been withdrawn from Lothian Crescent.
We apologise for inconvenience – but, as previously expressed, the safety of our passengers & drivers is our top concern.
— Xplore Dundee (@XploreDundeeBus) October 31, 2018
SNP Councillor Will Dawson, for the East End ward which includes Whitfield, has called on parents to keep a closer eye on their children in a bid to curb anti-social behaviour.
He said: “Everyone deserves the right to travel and work safely.
“These sorts of attacks on public transport in the Dundee area need to stop and parents need to be asking where their kids are and what they are doing.
“A driver being injured is bad and I truly hope that it’s not serious and that they recover soon.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed they were aware of a reported disturbance in the Whitfield area involving objects, including fireworks, being thrown.
Officers were immediately sent to the scene but the troublemakers had fled from the scene.
