Taxpayers pay more for repairs than 'locked in' bus passenger

DoI asks man to pay £500 after October damage

Taxpayers have paid more to repair a bus that was damaged last year than the passenger responsible for damaging it.

Manx Radio can confirm the Department of Infrastructure has asked the man – who claims he was ‘locked in’ it – to put up less than half of the repair costs.

A video – showing the individual shouting and swearing – circulated on social media in October 2023; he claimed he’d been forced to break a window in the early hours of the morning in order to free himself.

He then stated he’d had to climb onto a Department of Infrastructure van to jump over an ’18-foot fence’ in order to leave the bus station.

The total repair bill for the damage caused to the two vehicles came to £1,008.77; however he was only asked to pay £500 with the DoI covering the rest.

Police confirmed the investigation into the incident had concluded in December and had been dealt with by way of ‘community resolution’.

Manx Radio asked the Department of Infrastructure to confirm the details of that resolution, the repairs required and the cost of the damage but it declined to provide the information.

However details released, via the Freedom of Information procedure, show the bus was out of service for eight days whilst repair work was undertaken.

This included a routine service of the vehicle.

The costs incurred stemmed from contract cleaning to remove glass shards from the seats, labour, the new glass required, a crafting charge and bonding and sealing materials.

A polishing machine also had to be used to get foot marks, and scratches, out of the bonnet of the DoI van which had been stood on.

In documents provided to Manx Radio the revenue protection officer for the Department of Infrastructure outlines the costings for vehicle 302 stating: "Please note we are willing to accept £500 and we will cover the rest."