Service 26 Diverted Due to Bus Window Attacks

MCGILL’S EASTERN SCOTTISH TO DIVERT FAULDHOUSE BUS SERVICES FOLLOWING ATTACKS ON VEHICLES 

Night-time bus services at Fauldhouse are being diverted after a spate of attacks on McGill’s Eastern Scottish services.

The decision comes after six attacks on buses in the space of the last month.

The company said services are being rerouted away from Lanrigg Road (B7010) from 16:00hrs each day. Buses will instead travel along the B7015, before and after the scheduled stops in Longridge on the A706. The diversion will remain in place until at least Monday 7 November.

In the latest incident on Friday night (October 28), a group of youths around Laurie’s Corner-Lanrigg Road pelted a bus carrying passengers with rocks and stones, resulting in a rear window being smashed. The service then had to be withdrawn from use, leaving passengers to wait for a later service or find an alternative means to continue their journey.

McGill’s said they had engaged with police and local politicians in recent weeks to seek help in protecting buses from being attacked but there had been no remedy to the incidents.

David Phillips, General Manager at McGill’s Eastern Scottish, said they rued any inconvenience caused to passengers but that safety of customers and staff had to be their primary concern.

Mr Phillips said: “It is deeply disappointing that we are being forced to reroute services away from part of Fauldhouse but we have sadly been left with no other option following a series of attacks on our buses.

“These are criminal acts and we will provide information to police to assist them in identifying perpetrators. People would be rightly shocked if they were subject to such attacks whilst in a cafe or shop - it should be no different for the public or our staff when they are aboard a bus.

“Whilst damage is being sustained to our vehicles, our primary concern is for the safety of our passengers and staff. Depending on where a missile strikes, someone could be hit directly or a driver could be forced to swerve during an attack leading to an even more serious situation.

“We have alerted police and local politicians to the issues we have been experiencing over the last month but this has yet to make a difference. McGill’s is willing to engage with local stakeholders as it is in everyone’s interests that services run as scheduled.

“Our intention is to review the diversion in due course with the hope that we can start operating normal services as soon as possible in order to limit the inconvenience to passengers. However, for that to happen, we need to be assured that it is safe for our passengers and staff to travel through this location.”