In a bid to halt the rising number of assaults and incidents of drug-taking being reported on local bus routes, Dublin Bus is considering changing a number of routes to Tallaght to enable drivers to pull into garda stations to have the culprits dealt with.

The move comes just days after a local youth was thrown out of the top deck of a bus in the area. The youth, who sustained no serious injuries, was subjected to an assault before being thrown from the bus by a gang of youths.

According to local politicians and trade union representatives, the incident was just the latest in a growing catalogue of violent incidents on buses. A total of 21 incidents have been reported to gardai by bus drivers in the area in the past four weeks.

Among these was the case of a young man who was set on fire by a gang of youths as he sat on the bus. The incidents also include physical fights between passengers, muggings, drug-taking, bottles being thrown out windows, youths setting fire to seats, the verbal abuse of drivers, and random assaults on passengers. In one incident, a passenger threatened to rape a female bus driver.

According to John McGrane of the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU), drivers do not feel safe operating certain bus routes in the west of the city. McGrane welcomed the announcement that there would be extra garda patrols along certain bus routes over the coming weeks, but said that there was a need for gardai to monitor troublesome bus routes on a yearround basis.

"The past number of weeks has been particularly bad along certain routes, " said McGrane. "It has got to the stage where people are reluctant to use the buses in the area, and if they do get on a bus they won't take out their mobile phone because they are worried that it will be stolen."

Drug use is a major problem on bus routes such as the 77, with drivers regularly finding syringes on the upper decks of buses. Passengers can also be seen openly smoking hash or using cocaine on the buses.

The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, last week announced there would be increased garda presence along certain bus routes in Tallaght over the Hallowe'en period. As well as garda cars following buses, plainclothes detectives will travel on the routes.

According to Sinn Fein TD Sean Crowe, a small number of local youths are threatening the future of much-needed bus routes in the area. Crowe says thousands of people in Tallaght depend on the bus services but are often reluctant to go upstairs on the bus due to anti-social behaviour.

"There is no alternative for people in west Tallaght but to use the buses, but people have genuine fears about doing so, " said Crowe.

"Ninety-nine per cent of the people who use the buses are just trying to get to school or to work and they deserve a safe and reliable bus service. Unfortunately, that is not the case at the moment."

Dublin Bus has already altered certain routes in the area to avoid estates where drivers were encountering serious difficulties.

Crowe and Fianna Fail TD Charlie O'Connor raised the issue of safety on buses in the Dail last week following the incident when the youth was thrown out of a bus. O'Connor called upon Michael McDowell to make a longterm commitment to improve the safety of bus routes in the area, saying that the people of Tallaght "will not tolerate this situation" any further.

Fine Gael's Seanad leader Brian Hayes has called on McDowell to use members of the new Garda Reserve as a permanent presence on bus routes that have proven troublesome. The reserve force could fulfil the duties carried out by the transport police in Britain, said Hayes.