There were 153 incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded on public bus services in Limerick between September 2023 and August 2025. Incidents range from disruptive passengers and fare evasions to more serious crimes such as assault and destruction of property.
The service with the most trouble was the 303 serving Pineview to Kilmallock Road, with 68 incidents reported in the time frame.
The 303 route has faced several delays and suspensions over concerns around such incidents. Since January 2025, security escorts have been in place for the service at night. However, 33 incidents were still recorded in an eight-month spell since then.
A Bus Éireann driver based in Limerick, who asked to remain anonymous, told Limerick Voice that drivers don’t feel safe on the job.
“You don’t feel safe. You do have a protection screen and radio control back to base but at that moment, you are on your own and relatively isolated when this happens. Passengers on the bus can be quite intimidated too when somebody kicks off, and it is scary.”
“It has declined in Limerick, but it’s still at an unacceptable level”, he added. “There’s a constant level of it that needs to be stamped out, but it never goes away.”
Speaking on the worst incidents, he observed a driver on William Street after being beaten up in the middle of the day in January 2025. In July 2025, he saw another incident where “a drugged-up male was attacking his girlfriend on the bus.”
Drivers also worry about the number of offences committed by youths: “Often times, it’s the younger kids that are sent out to do it, and that’s a lot of the damage that we encounter. The guards can’t do anything with that if they’re underage.”
“One time, a drunk guy on the bus handed the bottle to a kid he was with for the kid to throw it out the window. He knew that the kid couldn’t be prosecuted. That window was broken, and that was after intimidating a couple of female passengers on the bus.”
He claims that more could be done to support drivers facing these challenges.
“Drivers will tell you there’s not enough support. I’m not sure if managers in an office quite understand the impact that this can have on the ground.
“Usually, the hassle is directed at the driver. You do need a swift response in those situations because it can escalate, and it’s not good for a driver to be on their own for 15 or 20 minutes waiting for a Garda response after you’ve reported it.
“It’s difficult to make the report while you’re trying to deal with the situation, so a better system needs to be in place where you can make an immediate notification that takes precedence.”
Bus Éireann has not responded to requests for comment at the time of going to press.