Public transport assaults: ‘They’re like animals. I could see a driver being killed’

Bus and rail drivers are tired of feeling unsafe at work, and are calling on Government to address the issue

Dublin Bus driver Agnieszka Gaska has had her hair, accent, and body insulted by teenagers when they refuse to pay their fare. Picture: Moya Nolan

On a hot Saturday night last July, Gary Reen was driving his usual bus route between Cork City and Crosshaven, when a crowd of close to 100 people crowded around the vehicle.

“You could see something was going to happen,” the Bus Éireann driver said of the rowdy crowd of kids, teenagers and 20-something-year-olds, who pushed around tourists and elderly locals to get a spot on the bus.