Over 1,000 cases of antisocial behaviour on Lothian buses so far this year
‘How many more buses will be damaged and drivers put at risk before something is done?’ - Miles Briggs MP
More than 1,000 cases of antisocial behaviour on Lothian buses have been recorded since the start of the year.
There have also been 443 maintenance requests as a result of antisocial behaviour - 412 due to broken or vandalised seats and 31 due to broken windows.
And there were six staff absences as a result of antisocial behaviour.
The information was obtained by Edinburgh and Lothian East Conservative MSP Miles Briggs through Freedom of Information. It showed a total of 1,111 antisocial behaviour incidents up to June 12.
Mr Briggs said the figures appeared to confirm a trend of soaring antisocial behaviour on buses since 2020, with incidents having more than doubled from 2020 to 2021 and again from 2022 to 2024.
He said the statistics for the first six months in 2026 suggested this year was on track to exceed 2,000 incidents.
He said: “Despite consistent campaigning and pressure from Conservative councillors and MSPs in Edinburgh, we are on track to another concerning number of incidents on Lothian Buses this year.”
He said there had been cases of young people abusing the free travel now provided for under-22s and Scottish Government attempts to change the rules so that bus passes could be taken away from those who persistently committed antisocial behaviour had been botched.
He said: “It is utterly unacceptable that bus drivers are not safe at work in our city and must take time off to deal with the effects of this behaviour.
“Edinburgh has one of the smallest police forces per capita in Scotland. Officers are stretched to the limit and police stations are regularly closed to the public just to maintain current standards.
“How many more buses will be damaged and drivers put at risk before something is done?”
Lyn Turner, industrial officer with the Unite union, which represents bus drivers, said work by Lothian Buses and Police Scotland to combat the problem was more effective than in the past.
And he noted the number of problems on buses around Bonfire Night this year was down on previous years. But he said: “The challenge is still out there. There are hot spots which the police are well aware of.”
A Lothian Buses spokesperson said: “Lothian adopts a zero-tolerance approach to all incidents of antisocial behaviour, and the safety of our colleagues and our customers is our main priority. We continue to engage with stakeholders including Transport Scotland, Police Scotland and other operators to address antisocial behaviour and keep public transport safe for all.”