Dublin Bus says anti-social behaviour continues to be a major issue, despite the introduction of security guards on its services a year ago.
More than 1,000 incidents of anti-social behaviour were recorded on its buses last year, and figures for this year are on course to match or exceed that record number of incidents.
The operator is calling for government plans for a transport police to be fast-tracked.
In 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, just under 500 incidents of anti-social behaviour were recorded on Dublin Bus services.
By 2023, that figure had more than doubled to 1,033, and last year reached a record 1,054.
Last October, Dublin Bus introduced security guards on buses on a pilot basis, but despite extending the scheme beyond the initial trial period and and increasing the number of security teams from two to three, incidents of anti-social behaviour on buses in 2025 are on course to match or exceed the record rates recorded last year.
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'It's just something that happens'
Dublin Bus driver Ciara Pender said while she believes the presence of security on buses is making a difference, she would like to see a more dedicated transport police force
"I've had eggs thrown at me. I've had violence on the bus. I've been called names. I've had youths smash the windows with the emergency hammer on the bus," she said.
"You get a bit of a fright, but most of the time it's not really directed towards you, it's something that just happens, but it completely impacts the whole service. Passengers don't understand that your next bus is not going to arrive because of anti-social behaviour.
"When the safety team come on board the bus, it definitely has a huge impact, not only for the driver, but the passengers. You can actually feel their presence, which makes everyone relax, so it'd be fantastic to have more of that in the near future."
At Dublin Bus Central Control in the Broadstone Depot, several pods, each housing four controllers, help monitor the situation on buses and arrange diversions and changes to services when anti-social behaviour incidents arise.
Each controller make an average of 500 calls a shift to drivers who are on the bus network, with those covering some areas of the city busier than others because of ongoing problems on their routes.
Central Control Operations Manager Bernard Fox sees the full picture of what happens on and around buses and the impact that it has on services.
"The main issue we see is that we see stone-throwing, we see fights on busses, drugs, alcohol and even pickpocketing. The impact it has is that our services can be withdrawn from an area for an hour, or even for the rest of the day," he said.
"It's a big, big impact for our customers, and we don't take it lightly."
Govt commitment for dedicated transport police force
Dublin Bus said it welcomes the Government's commitment this summer to introduce a transport police, but said it needs to do so quickly and that transport operators should provide their expertise and experience in that process.
Director of Risk Management at Dublin Bus David Boyd said they would like to see the force become operational by next year.
"We'd like to see the introduction of the transport security force as soon as possible, ideally in 2026. Ultimately, we're a bus company. We're not a security company," he said.
"We have a limited level of expertise in this area. So the deployment and introduction of the transport security force is key for us to be able to tackle this in a more concerted way on our services."
The Department of Transport said it is determined to introduce a Transport Security Force as swiftly as possible, and that it is aiming to make new laws to allow this next year and have the force operational by 2027.
In a statement, it said it invested more than €11 million in public transport safety this year.
It said: "Minister Darragh O'Brien is actively progressing the legislative proposals required to deliver on the Government’s commitment to establish the Transport Security Force and is working closely with the department officials and the National Transport Authority in this regard.
"This work involves consideration of the most appropriate model for the force, with all key stakeholders fully engaged - the NTA, operators, trade unions, passenger groups, An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice.
"The introduction of such a force will require new primary legislation. This issue is a priority for the department, and we are determined to advance it as swiftly as possible. In doing this, the department has proposed operational models for the Transport Security Force, with extensive engagement ongoing. We expect legislation to progress during 2026 with a view to having the force operational by 2027."
94% of SIPTU members report abusive behaviour
SIPTU today also released the results of a survey of 200 of its members who work in public transport, which found that 94% reported anti-social and abusive behaviour as an issue during the course of their work.
94% reported verbal abuse, more than a quarter experienced physical abuse and one in five said they were the victim of racial abuse.
More than 60% of those surveyed say the situation has gotten worse in the past 12 months, and just 1.5% believe it has improved.
SIPTU Sector Organiser John Murphy said its members are prepared to work with all stakeholders to make a transport police a reality as soon as possible.
"The lack of a visible policing presence on public transport is compounding the problem," he said.
Dublin Bus worker, and SIPTU National Executive Council member, Stephen Millane said: "Transport workers perform an essential public service and deserve to feel safe doing their jobs.
"The Respect Transport Workers campaign has consistently called for concrete steps to tackle abuse. These survey results underline just how urgent that need has become.
"Without proper enforcement and support, anti-social behaviour will continue to drive workers away from the sector and make passengers feel less safe."
Dublin Bus anti-social behaviour incidents
2019: 494
2020: 518
2021: 686
2022: 856
2023: 1,033
2024: 1,053
2025: 752* (January-September)
*This equates to a pro-rata volume of 1,086 per year
