Hastings businesses leader appeals to vandals to stop damaging buses

A spate of vandalism has resulted in service diversions and cancellations to daily services with the culprits targeting buses with air rifle pellets and bricks resulting in smashed windows.

Brett said " Buses play a pivotal role with connecting communities together, taking people to work, GP and hospital appointments, shopping, social activities, taking students to academy and college and provide a much more cost effective opportunity especially for those on a low income to travel especially whilst the £2.00 capped fares scheme is active.

“When a bus is targeted by mindless vandalism and damaged that bus has to go out of service and remains in the garage until its repaired therefore interfering with scheduled timetabled services often causing inconvenience to other passengers."

Last week eight vehicles were being repaired by the engineering team at the Beaufort Road depot which caused cancellations to services 20, 22, 29 and 99 which inconvenienced Stagecoach operations and angered passengers due to bus services being cancelled.

Brett said: "Those that are responsible for damaging vehicles by way of throwing bricks at buses are putting the lives of drivers and passengers at risk, this had to stop before someone is seriously injured."