Fears bus attacks could see Johnstown services curtailed

Stone throwing thugs smashed the windows of a bus travelling through Johnstown on Sunday evening, forcing passengers to be evacuated from the vehicle.

Passengers on the NX bus service had to be moved to another bus following an attack by a group of teens who had positioned themselves on top of a grassy hill near the Riverview and Athlumney Abbey estate.
It is believed a female passenger was beside a window which was hit, but that nobody was seriously injured in the incident.
The attack comes just weeks after a bus stop in Johnstown was destroyed by vandals, sparking fears that the service could be pulled from the area.
The NX is a new Navan/Dublin service introduced last year, which also takes in Johnstown.

A Bus Eireann coach close to where the attack took place

Athlumney Abbey resident, Orla Roche, was getting off an NX bus on Sunday evening, having been in Navan with her daughter, when she saw the damaged bus.
“I got off the bus and saw that there was one already there but there was a lot of smashed glass on the ground. I spoke to the bus driver and he told me that a group of teenagers on top of a grassy hill near Riverview had thrown stones down at the bus, smashing a window. I took some photos of the damage. “
Orla lives in Athlumney Abbey and as she went into the estate, she saw no sign of any group of teenagers.
“There seems to be a growing problem here in Johnstown with this kind of thing. A bus stop near Taylors pub was smashed up recently.”
She is fearful that the service could be lost to the area if this continues.
“It would be dreadful to lose the service. It costs me €1.90 and my daughter €1.10 to come from Navan town centre to Athlumney Abbey instead of €6 or €6.50 by taxi.”

A spokesperson for Bus Éireann confirmed the incident resulted in damage to one of the side window panels of a Bus Éireann double deck coach.
“No injuries were sustained and all passengers were transferred onto another service with minimal delay.
“Bus Éireann will continue to liaise with local Gardaí to keep the situation under review.
“When the NX service was implemented last September a number of new bus stops and shelters were installed across Co Meath. A small number of shelters along the route have since been vandalised and repaired,” he said.
Navan Gardai have confirmed they are investigating the criminal damage and have asked anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with information to contact Navan Garda Station. Superintendent Michael Devine confirmed that CCTV on the bus would be viewed as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, moves are under way to organise a community meeting to discuss anti-social behaviour in the Johnstown area. The Navan South Communities Unite group recently sought feedback on whether the community would like to come together to discuss the issue and come up with constructive ways to tackle and reduce antisocial behaviour.
The post urged people to comment yes or no to indicate their view and the feedback to date has been very supportive of the idea of such a meeting.