Windows of 26 Vancouver buses damaged by 'projectiles' over 2 weeks, police say

The union representing Vancouver's bus drivers says it's concerned for its members' safety after the windows of 26 Vancouver buses had their windows broken by projectiles over a two week period in January.

On Thursday, police called on members of the public to come forward with any tips or information into the incidents, which they believe were caused by "projectiles" launched from outside the vehicles.

All of the incidents occurred in the last two weeks of January before sunrise on the same five-block stretch of Hastings Street, between Gore and Cambie streets, while the buses were moving, according to police.

Vancouver police and Metro Vancouver Transit Police say, so far, they have very little to go on.

"Only the first pane of glass on the bus had been broken," Metro Vancouver Transit Police Const. Amanda Steed told reporters late Thursday morning. "Whatever was being used — whether a rock, pellet gun or even a slingshot perhaps — was not actually coming into the bus.

"So we don't have any physical evidence available to us."

She said nobody was injured and the buses' double-paned windows protected passengers inside. But she estimated repairing the damage would cost "thousands" of dollars.

Unfor Local 111, which represents the region's bus operators, said it is worried about drivers' safety and has asked for some buses to be re-routed off Hastings Street until the case is closed.

"It's a huge safety concern," said local president Balbir Mann. "We deal with a lot of day-to-day things: road rage incidents, verbally and physically our members get assaulted and now this.

"It just adds more stress."