Dublin Bus will not service a Dublin housing estate in the evenings anymore, due to the abuse and aggression drivers are facing.

The bus service has said it will not enter the Bawnogue estate in Clondalkin after dark due to the concerns drivers have raised.

Instead, the No 13 bus will avoid Bawnogue entirely and simply head up the nearby main road.

On The Pat Kenny Show,independent Councillor Francis Timmons said the drivers had simply “had enough” of the bad behaviour of local youths.

“From talking to several of the drivers, at this stage, they’re worrying about their own safety and the safety of passengers,” he said. 

“Items are being thrown at the buses. 

“[Things] like stones, bottles, that type of stuff. 

“Also, they’re putting up with a lot of abuse on that route.”  

Minority

Cllr Timmons said most people who live on the Bawnogue estate are “very decent” and it was only a “small minority” whose behaviour was behind the decision. 

He said it was particularly disappointing given the large number of elderly people in the area who “rely heavily” on the service and will now have to walk to the main road for the bus. 

“It’s quite a walk from the back end of Bawnogue out to the main road,” he said. 

“Especially now in the dark evenings.” 

Resolution

Gardaí have promised to increase their presence in the area but Cllr Timmons said the drivers are demanding a more long-term solution.

“What the drivers are saying is they want reassurance that this is not going to be a one off or for a week,” he said. 

“They want to make sure that they’re safe to go into these areas [in the long-term].”

Family responsibility

Most of the culprits are thought to be under 18 and Cllr Timmons said they would only ever get a “slap on the wrists” from the legal system. 

With that in mind, he wants local families to do more to make sure their children are behaving. 

“I think the majority of this will have to fall back on the parents,” he said. 

“These are minors that I’m hearing are causing these issues and it’ll need a community response.”

Main image: Blue and yellow double decker bus in Dublin city centre.