A GLIDER and two Metro buses were attacked by youths with bricks and stones during multiple incidents on the Stewartstown Road on Monday night.
PSNI officers were called to the scene after a number of vehicles had been damaged in the area. There were also similar reports that youths with bricks and stones were seen close to the Bell Steel Road junction in the area.
Due to these actions, Metro services 10c and 10d were diverted from their route in order to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.
This latest incident is the second attack on the Glider in the area in two weeks.
Michael Dornan, Chair of Unite the Union’s Metro Bus Drivers, said: “We have recently been having discussions with the police and community groups because these attacks have been going on for around two or three years.
"We are not just seeing attacks on buses, but also dealing with a lot of anti-social behavior on board. Our Revenue Protection Officers have been subjected to both verbal and physical abuse for doing nothing more than their job.”
Mr Dornan added that the attacks were also an attack on the community.
“An attack on the Glider and buses are an attack on the community itself. These attacks cause an awful lot of distress and unneeded pressure to drivers and workers who are at risk of injury, but these attacks also mean that we are forced to divert, suspend and withdraw services because of the attacks, which ends up depriving the people of the area of much needed transport facilities.”
A PSNI spokesperson condemned the ongoing attacks.