Brick thugs targeting buses ‘10 times a week’
BUSES were forced to change routes after thugs pelted them with bricks.
The attack occurred on Monday morning at the Charlestown Road White Moss Shops bus stop in Blackley.
Vandals threw objects at the bus windows forcing drivers to divert via Victoria Avenue East, GMP have confirmed. It comes just a month after police were forced to patrol buses on the same route following previous trouble.
One resident said: “You could hear the pellets or stones hit the metal of the bus. It had to be coming from a property above the shops or nearby, as both buses were hit on the side which faces the shops.
“I have only witnessed it once but heard of it happening multiple times over the last few weeks. I heard from a bus driver that this has happened 10 times last week”.
The resident added that incidents like this cause concern for people who live, shop and travel in the area.
They added: “A major worry residents have is that someone maybe sat at a window and when objects go through, it could harm them.
“We have enough problems in the area and don’t want to be adding a no bus route due to vehicle and passenger safety into it, as well.
“We have a lot of old people who rely on public transport and without that, it will make them housebound again, like in the pandemic.”
Another resident said they had to call a taxi because the buses were diverted.
A GMP spokesperson said: “A group of offenders were throwing objects at the buses which caused damage to their windscreens.
“No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for Stagecoach said: “The safety of our customers and drivers is of utmost importance to us and so we acted quickly to divert services to ensure that everybody on board our services remained safe.
“We are continuing to working with Greater Manchester Police, TravelSafe and the local Councillors to find the people responsible for the anti-social behaviour in this area.”
Last month, Stagecoach had to divert bus services on Charlestown Road due to objects being thrown at buses, with police having to patrol the bus routes.