EIGHTEEN people have been charged in connection with anti-social behaviour incidents on buses in Edinburgh.
In the latest attack on Monday night, eight buses were subjected to damage as large stones were thrown at windows. Operator Lothian Buses was forced to suspend services after the attacks on Gilmerton Road and Old Dalkeith Road.
It came after services to Clermiston were suspended following an attack in Dumbrae earlier this month.
Such incidents could have lead to “serious injury or even death”, Police Scotland warned.
The driver during the Dumbrae attack said he’d seen someone coming to his side and banging the bus. “Then I could see the rock coming towards my drivers’ window and it just shattered,” he said.
The worker went to the eye hospital for an emergency appointment, with doctors saying he had abrasions to his cornea.
“Normally, I am a very confident person but this has wiped me out,” he said. “Even the thought of going on a bus is now causing me quite big problems.”
This is what myself and colleagues are facing almost every night all across Edinburgh despite the assistance of police. Imagine a buggy or wheelchair user had been in that space .
— Kwilson (@Kwilson26474601) March 16, 2021
What's your kid doing at night ? pic.twitter.com/vJVxy5da86
Lothian Buses operations director Sarah Boyd said she had been “appalled” by these “dangerous acts of vandalism”.
She went on: “I am even more disappointed that the individuals responsible chose to target buses serving the Royal Infirmary Hospital at a time when keyworkers, who rely heavily on our services, were either starting or finishing their shifts.”
Boyd added that the damage for those involved could be “life-changing”, and said the firm will continue working with Police Scotland to ensure “those responsible are held accountable”.
The local area commander for north-west Edinburgh, Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor, commented: "This is completely senseless behaviour and could lead to serious injury or even death.
"I would ask those who did this, how would you feel if it was your family member sitting at that window that smashed, or your friend driving the vehicle that was hit with a rock?
"This behaviour must stop. We will continue to investigate these incidents and seek to ensure offenders are held accountable for their actions."
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