Local transport services see increase in destructive behaviour “across the entire city,” says local councillor.
LIMERICK’S 303 bus route has faced several reported incidents of anti-social behaviour since September.
The Limerick Voice previously reported that between September 2023 and August 2025, there were 153 recorded incidents of anti-social behaviour on Limerick’s public bus services.
68 of these incidents occurred on the 303 route serving Pineview to Kilmallock Road.
Since September 2026, three reported incidents have occurred on the same service, resulting in disruptions to the route.
Local Councillor Sharon Benson spoke to the Limerick Voice, saying that these incidents are occurring on bus lines all over Limerick.
“This behaviour is unacceptable, and it’s an issue seen not just on the 303 line, but across the entire city.”
On September 4 at around 8pm, a bus serving the 303 route was terminated in Moyross due to fireworks and rocks being thrown at it.
The 303 and 306 services did not serve Moyross for two hours following the incident but returned to the area during the last hour of service.
No passengers were injured during the attack on the vehicle, but Gardaí were contacted out of concern. The culprits were not found despite Gardaí conducting a search.
On September 22, it was reported that vandals inflicted damage by placing blades into the seats of a bus operating on the 303 O’Malley Park to Moyross line.
It has been reported that the vandals were children who looked to be no more than 12-years-old.
The vandalism occurred in the afternoon, when stanley blades were used to slash several seats on the bus.
The bus was taken out of service to facilitate repairs following the incident, according to Bus Éireann spokesperson Séamus Collins.
“Bus Éireann can confirm that an anti-social incident occurred on a Route 303 (Pineview-Kilmallock Rd.) service in Limerick on Tuesday, September 22, resulting in damage to a number of seats.”
“An Garda Síochána was contacted and a report was made, with relevant CCTV footage shared with Gardaí. Full safety checks were also carried out on the vehicle, and no objects were found concealed in any of the seats.”
Following this incident, the window of a bus on the 303 line was smashed in the evening of October 6, with the bus being removed from service to facilitate repairs.
Cllr Benson stated many of these incidents go “unreported on other lines.”
“Only two weeks ago I encountered an incident in my own area where young people were trying to throw a shopping trolley at a bus shelter.”
“It’s terrible mindset that I and the general community cannot understand.”
Cllr Benson also explained that, “elderly people need these services, and the last thing I want to see is these services being pulled from areas that need it.”