| The 27-year-old Travel Dundee driver suffered concussion and had to be taken to hospital after being struck on the side of the head by a stone whilst driving his vehicle.
Police are now trawling through CCTV footage from on board the vehicle and from other cameras in the area in a bid to catch the culprits.
The victim, who has not been named, was driving the No. 28/29 single-decker bus southwards on the Lochee bypass at around 9.30pm on Wednesday when the incident occurred.
The driver approached the roundabout with South Road and continued on to the dual carriageway, before he was struck by the stone as he was preparing to let a passenger off the bus opposite Adamson’s Court.
He sustained a cut to the forehead in the attack and was taken to Ninewells Hospital, where he remained overnight for observation.
Director National Express Dundee Lawrence Davie said the driver has since been released and has been signed off work to recuperate from the attack.
He said, “We take incidents like this very seriously.
“They seem to think of it as a bit of fun to do out of school and do not realise how dangerous it can be.”
He added, “Both bus companies in Dundee have problems with stone throwing, especially during the summer months when the schools are off, and it can be very dangerous.
“The mindless actions of these individuals put the safety of passengers and drivers at risk.”
Mr Davie said the company work in liaison with the police and Dundee City Council’s anti-social behaviour team in a bid to address the issue among young people in the city.
A Travel Dundee spokeswoman said security footage within the public transport vehicles could help police apprehend the yobs behind that attack.
“We will not tolerate threatening behaviour towards our staff or vandalism on our bus network and are working closely with Tayside Police to identify the offenders.
“Thankfully, these type of incidents are rare and we have CCTV in and around the vehicle to catch the culprits.”
A spokeswoman from Tayside Police said every effort was being made to trace the offenders.
She said, “Words cannot adequately describe how irresponsible the person who did this is.
“What might have seemed like a harmless prank could have had far more serious consequences.
“It would appear that the stone has been thrown in the area of Adamson’s Court.
“Whilst we are checking CCTV footage from the area, I would urge anyone who knows who might be responsible for this incident to get in touch with us.”
Lochee councillor Bob Duncan also condemned those responsible for the attack.
“I really am devastated that this sort of thing is happening,” he said. “Anything that distracts a driver at all can is extremely dangerous.
“It is not the first incident in the city and I know the police are working hard to try and catch the people involved.”
He added, “The bottom line is that one day there is going to be a terrible accident. We need to make sure the message is getting across to people that it is so dangerous.
“It is terrifying. As a driver myself, anything that even hits your windscreen can startle you, so for this to happen when a driver is carrying a bus load of passengers is just unacceptable. It is mindless thoughtlessness.
“Every city will have this type of problem, but I think it is important to highlight it to get the message across that this is not the right thing to do.
“One incident is one too many.” |
