GARDAÍ are investigating after a bus driver was shot in the face with an air gun by a band of unruly youths while driving through Limerick City earlier this Friday afternoon.
It is understood the violent incident took place as the female bus driver was working on a route serving the O’Malley Park area of Limerick City.
The 303 route, operated by Bus Éireann, which runs from O’Malley Park to Pineview in Limerick City, was suspended in wake of the attack.
The driver was taken to hospital for treatment, but it is believed she sustained no serious injuries.
It is understood the driver had only been working with Bus Éireann for the past two weeks.
Condemning the violent attack, Stephen Nugent, senior national executive member of the National Bus and Rail Union hit out at the “disgraceful and extremely dangerous incident of anti-social behaviour on the 303 service in Limerick this afternoon”.
“A female Bus Éireann driver who had only began her second week of operating bus services for Bus Éireann was approached by a gang of youths at a bus stop, they refused to pay their fare and began threatening the bus driver to let them on board the service,” he explained.
“The driver became very frightened and intimidated by the gang and decided to let them on, when leaving the bus one member of the gang produced an air gun and shot the female driver in the face hitting her just below the eye.”
Mr Nugent went on to say the “appalling incident once again demonstrates the immediate requirement for the longstanding call from the NBRU for a dedicated Garda Public Transport Unit to be established”.
SIPTU organiser Adrian Kane added that “the incident today, while shocking, is unfortunately unsurprising”.
“Throughout this year the SIPTU Respect Transport Workers campaign has been highlighting this issue and calling for serious action by the government to get a grip on it. We are now calling for immediate action by the Taoiseach.”
Another SIPTU organiser, Andrew Quigley, said that the victim, a SIPTU member, was “driving a bus today on a route in Limerick City when a group of youths, some mere children, boarded the bus at the terminus and began firing air guns”.
“As the youths were disembarking the bus, one of them aimed and shot her with the air gun leaving bruising at the side of her eye.
“The member has been traumatised by the incident as the airgun closely resembled a real firearm and she feared for the worse when she was shot.”
At the time of publication, services on the 303 route were still not operating.
