Gardaí and Bus Éireann in Cork investigate after man threatened to kill driver and his family
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Two investigations have been launched after a man who forced his way onto a bus threatened to cut the driver’s throat and to kill his wife and their children.
Gardaí and Bus Éireann are conducting separate investigations into the disturbing incident in Cork last weekend, with the bus company confirming it now has six reported incidents of assault of a staff member, and 43 incidents of verbal abuse of a staff member or passenger so far this year.
This latest incident occurred on a 220 bus as it was driving city-bound through Ballincollig village at around 7pm on Saturday.
Bus Éireann said two men boarded the double-decker bus as it was stationary at traffic lights, and confronted the driver.
The has established that the first man jumped in front of the bus as it was stopped at the lights and began banging on the windows and door, and then managed to force the door open.
When he boarded, he began hurling abuse at the driver, threatening to cut his throat, to kill him, his wife and his children, before he verbally abused some passengers and then moved to sit upstairs. He was followed by the second man. Neither paid.
No injuries were reported, and the driver safely stopped the bus at the next available stop.
“Prior to reaching the stop he had contacted his local control centre who in turn contacted both An Garda Síochána and a nearby mobile security unit [employed by Bus Éireann],” it said in a statement.
“The gardaí and the mobile security unit attended the scene and both men exited the vehicle.
In their statement, gardaí said officers from Ballincollig station attended the scene following a report of a “public order incident” on a bus but that the bus had left the scene.
No arrests were made at the time. Enquiries are ongoing,” they said.
A spokesman for the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) said such incidents have become an almost daily occurrence on services across the city, many of which go unreported.
“This was one of three serious incidents involving bus drivers in Cork City alone over the bank holiday weekend,” he said.
“The people responsible for these attacks must be pursued and prosecuted.
“On Sunday, a male driver was spat on by a passenger on a bus in the Carrigaline area at around 11.25pm.
“And on Saturday, a man violently attacked the driver’s screen on a bus in Blackpool at 2.50pm after the driver refused to carry him because of a payment issue.
“The man got off that bus which then moved off, but he boarded another bus driven by a female driver who came upon the scene, and began attacking the driver’s screen in that bus too.
“In all cases, the drivers continued to the end of their shifts which demonstrates their commitment to their jobs and to their customers.”
Bus Éireann said it does not tolerate antisocial or criminal behaviour towards its customers or staff and that thankfully overall incidents of antisocial behaviour remain low on its services.
In 2023, it carried out 107m passenger journeys — a figure it expects to surpass in 2024.