Bus vandals leave trail of destruction

Mr Saunders received a phone call from a member of the public about 3pm last Monday informing him buses parked at the depot had been vandalised.

He discovered vandals had pushed open the doors of the buses and used the emergency hammers inside to break the window and doors.

Fire extinguishers had also been set off inside the buses and first-aid kits torn apart.

‘There were 19 buses parked at the depot; they did all but one of them,’ he said. ‘One bus had 38 windows smashed.

‘It’s caused about $50,000 to $55,000 of damage.’

It is the second time in less than three months that vandals have damaged buses.

During the Easter holidays, vandals smashed the windows of six buses at the depot.

While Mr Saunders is now considering further security measures, including an electric fence around the depot, he is urging the public to report suspicious behaviour to police.

Buses from nearby Buswest depots are being used to continue the daily school runs and charters, until the damaged buses are repaired. Investigations are continuing.