Attackers screened
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LASGOW'S 500 buses are each being fitted with an armoured ear plastic sliding screen at a cost of £100 per vehicle in a bid to It attacks on drivers. It can be used at the driver's discretion to it himself off from the public.
Developed by the Greater lasgow Passenger Transport Kecutive, the screen has been trial on 20 buses for the past vo months.
Meanwhile, some Edinargh busmen are refusing to )erate buses on Friday and Iturday nights because they .e 'terrified' of being attack a union leader says.
Now, bus crews have threafled not to operate some late ght services at weekends ?.cause of assaults.
In the latest incident, two ivers were attacked.
A special meeting was to be aid involving union repremtatives, police, city transprt officials, and Mrs Cathene Filsell, chairman of LoIlan Region transportation )mmittee, to discuss the problem.
Terry Weir, city busmen's convener of the TGWU, said later drinking hours appeared to be the cause of the latest outbreak of violence on buses. "People are coming out of pubs later; they all want to get on to the last buses and this leads to trouble."
According to reports from Mr Weir's branch committee, men were not turning up for shifts to operate late buses on Friday and Saturday nights. "They are terrified of turning out on these shifts. They are losing money because they are concerned about their safety," he said.
Refused to work
Three years ago, Edinburgh busmen refused to work later than 9pm after a series of attacks on crews.
Increased checks by inspectors and police patrols led to an improvement in the situation, but now it has worsened, again, to the point where a number of busmen wanted to take the buses off the road last weekend.
Generally, the route where the attacks take place were those servicing housing schemes, Mr Weir said.