By Denise O’Donoghue
Additional security is in place on a late-night Cork bus service following a number of rape threats that were made to the female driver on Halloween night.
Gardaí in Cork are investigating the incident on the 220 bus which occurred at around 9.30pm last Thursday.
As the female bus driver arrived at the last stop in Carrigaline, a large group of teenagers boarded. Several refused to pay and went upstairs.
The driver followed them to confront them but was verbally abused. She called for assistance and her supervisor and gardaí arrived within 15 minutes.
During the wait, the driver was threatened with rape and she was subjected to racial abuse.
The gardaí and the supervisor were also verbally abused during the incident, which lasted until 11.30pm when the offending teens were escorted onto another bus by gardaí.
The incident on the 220 from Cork city to Carrigaline has led to Bus Éireann introducing extra security on the route.
Passengers on the bus route last night noted the presence of security, which was in place from 8.30pm.
In a statement, Bus Éireann said they hope the move reassures commuters who use the service.
"Although such incidents of anti-social behaviour are rare, not only can they cause distress to staff and customers, but they also put at risk the safety of our customers, our drivers and our fellow road-users.
"Therefore, similar to last year, Bus Éireann has provided additional security from 8.30pm onwards on some of our services, tasked with monitoring antisocial behaviour while customers are travelling on our vehicles."
Local Councillor Seamus McGrath welcomed the move to protect drivers and passengers but said he hoped the presence of security personnel on the Carrigaline bus route would not be a permanent feature.
"It was an absolutely disgraceful incident and I have been assured by the guards they are actively following up on it and I certainly want to see consequences for those involved," he told Patricia Messinger on C103's Cork Today.
"The protection of bus drivers is very important ... but I certainly hope we have not come to that on a permanent basis.
"The drivers have to be protected and we have to send out a message that that kind of behaviour isn't going to be accepted. I don't think we need to have a situation where we have security guards on the busses all the time, I don't think that's necessarily the right approach. Certainly, when incidents happen I think they need to be rigorously followed up on and there needs to be consequences."
The high-frequency 220 service links Ballincollig via Cork city to Carrigaline and has seen a 70% surge in passenger numbers since its extension to a 24-hour service in January.
Image: One of the busses serving the 220 route
