Bus services across Renfrewshire are under threat following number of “vicious and dangerous” attacks on buses which have caused almost £12,000 of damage.
Transport bosses at McGill’s have already decided to cut nighttime services in Elderslie following a spate of attacks by youths, with further cuts in Paisley, Renfrew and Foxbar also being considered.
Five buses were vandalised in Elderslie within a matter of days after having stones hurled at them by gangs, leaving McGill’s with a repair bill of £11,500.
The recent attacks are understood to be one of the worst the bus firm has faced, having previously removed evening services from Shortroods following seven attacks within two months.
An email sent by the bus firm’s operation manager Colin Napier to Renfrewshire councillors slammed the dangerous actions of the vandals, and stated that the firm had been left with no choice but to take drastic action.
However, concerns have been raised about the impact the cuts to nighttime buses will impact the public, particularly due to the dark evenings.
Mr Napier’s email states: “The cost of the damage so far is approximately £11,500 and obviously there has been a great deal of inconvenience for bus users in the area, although fortunately no one has been hurt.
“However, it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed by this type of attack and we must consider the safety of our staff, our customers and other road users.
“If one of our drivers is injured or distracted by one of these attacks it could result in a very serious accident.
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“Unfortunately, we have also experienced similar attacks in Renfrew, Paisley and Foxbar over the last week and we are currently reviewing other service suspensions or diversions.”
Police are currently investigating the string of attacks - some of which involved brand new electric vehicles only on the road for a matter of months.
On February 11, three separate attacks took place in Elderslie, with large groups of unruly youngsters spotted throwing stones as the vehicles drove through Hillview Road, Elderslie Main Road and at the Esso petrol station at the junction of Glenpatrick Road.
On Monday, a bus was attacked at Johnstone train station, smashing the window, while a fifth incident took place on Wednesday night, again at the Esso petrol station.
As a result, McGill’s will now be diverting services 20 and 38 from Linwood Rd Toll onto the A737 and then entering Johnstone centre from the A737 junction at Morrisons.
Journeys from Johnstone will join the A737 at Kilbarchan due to the road closure on Johnstone Main Street.
This means Elderslie and the Thorn including Johnstone Station will now be without a bus service from 6pm every night.
Councillor Andy Steel said this was a concern for the public who faced having no public transport in the dark.
The : “I understand completely that McGill’s have a duty of care to their drivers - they cannot be exposed to this kind of danger.
“But I’m also keenly aware that the loss of these services will have an impact on constituents in Johnstone and Elderslie, who are faced with a reduced service in what are still the dark evenings.
“So I’m pleased to hear that McGill’s and Police Scotland are working closely together to stop these attacks and in particular are stepping up patrols, which I would hope will mean the services resume as soon as possible - it can’t be right that law abiding people lose a service due to the actions of law breakers.”
The attacks were previously branded as unacceptable by police.
Inspector Laura Hamill, of Renfrewshire’s community policing team, said officers are carrying out enquiries to catch the youths responsible.
She said: “This is not the first time McGill’s buses have been subject to vandalism in Renfrewshire.
“The damage done to these buses is unacceptable, and officers are working with McGill’s and carrying out enquiries to try and put a stop to the actions of those responsible.
“We would also encourage any member of the public who witnessed any of the incidents to please get in touch with us to assist us with out enquiries.”
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.
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