AN INVERCLYDE bus firm has warned it won't hesitate to withdraw services in the area to protect staff and passengers in the light of rising levels of abuse towards drivers.

Bosses at McGill's say abuse and attacks on drivers, as well as damage to vehicles, is something they've been campaigning to stop for many years.

Bus chiefs were speaking out in response to a survey of bus drivers by the Unite trade union in which 84 per cent said instances of abuse had risen in the past 12 months.

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Colin Napier, group delivery director at McGill's Buses, said: "As has been seen recently, we have withdrawn services when necessary to protect staff and passengers, and we will not hesitate to do so again if support is not provided to eradicate the increase in antisocial behaviour we are currently experiencing.

"We are also working hard to increase levels of security at bus stops by enhancing CCTV and cab safety to protect drivers while in their vehicles."

Mr Napier condemned such attacks and argued that such behaviour would not be accepted in other workplaces.

He said: "Abuse and attacks on drivers, as well as malicious damage to vehicles that could result in injury to drivers and passengers during their normal working day, are reprehensible. This is an issue that we, as a company, have been working to stop for many years.

"As we have said on many occasions, society would not accept such incidents if they took place in cafés or shops, and it should be no different when it comes to buses and the drivers who keep them moving to meet the needs of the community. They are a vital link to employment and the city’s economy for many daily travellers."

Unite's survey, of 1,100 bus drivers across Scotland, found half of those who responded didn't feel safe at work.

Verbal abuse accounted for 83 per cent of incidents, 16 per cent were physical abuse and one per cent was of sexual abuse.

Meanwhile, 79 per cent of those who responded said the abuse they'd suffered wasn't reported to police, and nearly half didn't report it to their employer.

More than two-thirds of those who did report an abuse incident said they were dissatisfied with their employer’s response.

More than half - 51 per cent - said they do not feel safe at work, while 85 per cent said the abuse it is now ‘just part of the job’.

Almost everyone surveyed, 99 per cent want stronger legislative measures to protect them.

Mr Napier urged staff not to suffer in silence and to report abuse.

He said: "We encourage our staff and customers to report all incidents to us.

"This allows us to provide appropriate support where it is needed, while helping us build a stronger case for prosecutions against the abusive and mindless actions of a few individuals causing problems in our local communities.

"We are actively liaising with the police, local councillors, and MSPs to engage in and support appropriate preventative measures to apprehend and prosecute those responsible.

"We have a good relationship with government officials, councillors, and police, but we would like to see greater resources dedicated to preventing such incidents at the outset, particularly in known trouble hotspots."

Unite is demanding that its 'Road Map to Safety' to be implemented including police or community wardens in buses and CCTV.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Urgent measures must be taken to address the staggering level of abuse being suffered by bus drivers. In no way is this acceptable. Unite members will not tolerate abuse any longer.

“The Scottish Government has to step up and step in to ensure our members feel safe at work. A do nothing response is not an option."

Inverclyde councillor David Wilson, who is the vice-chair of the operations committee at the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), said: "I have a considerable number of complaints covering the west of Scotland regarding anti-social behaviour on buses.

"It seems to have become worse and since the under 22 free travel has come in. That is the view amongst colleagues, though we certainly wouldn't be in favour of losing it.

"One proposal could be a curfew in the use of it.

"I have found that McGill's, Stagecoach and First to be responsible to employees and conscious of looking after their staff."

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “We have the greatest sympathy for bus drivers who are at the sharp end of antisocial behaviour from a small minority of bus passengers.

"Everyone should be able to go to their work without fear of abuse. That’s why the Cabinet Secretary for Transport met Unite representatives last month to discuss the safety of bus drivers and confirmed that she is committed to ensuring a full range of options are available to support the police, local authorities and bus operators to tackle this issue.

“The vast majority of passengers travelling by bus behave appropriately, including people of all ages using their free bus entitlement to travel. None of this would be possible without bus drivers keeping communities connected.

"However, there is a minority of people, of all ages, who abuse their entitlement, including to commit offences, and which can result in serious harm to bus employees and passengers. That is simply not acceptable.

“Bus operators can already restrict access to their services in line with their own conditions of carriage and we are working with operators, unions and other stakeholders, to develop further sanctions and preventative measures.

"This includes development of a new behaviour code for passengers and a process for temporary suspension of concessionary travel cards.”