By Lucy Ashton
Antisocial behaviour across the bus network in Scotland is becoming commonplace.
That has included young people lobbing rocks at buses and assaults on passengers, the Scottish Parliament was told this week.
“Last week, a pregnant woman was allegedly pushed off a bench while waiting at a bus stop,” Tory MSP Craig Hoy said.
He added: “She was left bleeding and in pain and, tragically, after waiting in an ambulance, she later miscarried. Her husband has appealed to parents and family members to speak to young people and to remind them everyday how to respect people and behave in public places.”
He asked the Justice Secretary Angela Constance what discussions she has had with Police Scotland about policing on the bus network, particularly since the introduction of free bus travel for under-22s.
Mr Hoy added: “Will she join me in calling for a policy of zero tolerance of antisocial behaviour on Scotland’s bus network?”
Angela Constance, pictured right, replied: “The circumstances that Craig Hoy has narrated are truly shocking. We should be thankful that the vast majority of our young people are people to be proud of, and are excellent citizens and contributors to, the country in which we live.“I reassure Mr Hoy that I and the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, as well as our ministerial colleagues in transport, are very much engaged in the issue.
“He might wish to look at the programme for government, where we talk about the on-going work on violence reduction and the actions that will be taken to tackle antisocial behaviour.
“Mr Hoy is right to suggest that people who work on our bus and other public transport networks should not have to put up with any kind of deplorable or violent behaviour.”
Can the cabinet secretary provide an update on recruitment plans that the chief constable has with regard to increasing police officer numbers?
Meanwhile, Angela Constance had some good news for MSPs on police recruitment.
She told them: “Police Scotland is set to take on more recruits than at any time since its inception in 2013. Since March, Police Scotland has welcomed around 680 new officers and, since the beginning of 2023, has welcomed more than 1,280 new recruits.
“Police Scotland has plans for further intakes throughout the year, with the chief constable [Jo Farrell] confirming that our budget settlement will enable Police Scotland to recruit enough officers to increase numbers back to the region of 16,500 to 16,600 over the course of this financial year.”