TWO Glider vehicles were damaged in a hail of stones and masonry in the Colin area, with bus union reps warning that "someone is going to get killed".
One vehicle had its windscreen smashed and another vehicle was damaged by missiles thrown from the new park on the Stewartstown Road last Sunday night.
Services to the area were withdrawn following the attacks, which both happened between 6.30pm and 7pm.
An emergency meeting took place on Wednesday discuss the future of the service in the Colin area. The meeting involved PSNI, Translink, community reps, and Unite the Union, which represents Glider and Metro bus drivers.
As well as recent attacks, some young people in the area have also reportedly been "playing chicken" with Glider, running alongside the vehicle to press the emergency stop button on its doors.
Michael Dornan, chair of the Metro bus drivers’ branch at Unite the Union, warned that "someone is going to get killed."
"Obviously we don't want to deprive anyone of a much-needed service, but something is going to have to be done – somebody is going to have to come to the fore before somebody is killed," he said.
"The Glider drivers had this going on sporadically for four years now. Something needs to be done, whether we cull back the services and deprive people of this smashing bus and bring back the old Metro bus to do a longer feeder run than what they do from Colin Connect. Everything is going to be discussed, and we're going to take advice regarding the safety and welfare of these kids, because they don't realise the danger they're putting themselves in."
A Translink spokesperson said:“Damage was caused to two Gliders within minutes of each other on the Stewartstown Road just before 7pm on Sunday evening, 30th January.
“For the safety of our staff and passengers, Glider services operated to Michael Ferguson Roundabout for the rest of the evening. However, full service was restored on Monday morning.
“The safety of our customers, staff and the wider public is our top priority at all times. We have zero tolerance for attacks on our vehicles and we work closely with the PSNI, community and elected representatives to reduce and prevent acts of vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
“We operate a cash reward scheme offering up to £1,000 to any member of the public who witnesses any incident and is prepared to give evidence in court, resulting in a conviction.”
In a statement, the PSNI said the cost to repair the vehicles "will be extensive and the risk of injuring staff and passengers was high".
It appealed for anyone with information about the attacks to come forwards.
"If you have any information or were in the in the Stewartstown Road between 6:30pm and 7pm on Sunday 30th January and noticed anyone acting suspiciously please get in contact with us on 101 or you can report online," a spokesperson said.
