"Spies" are being placed by Dublin Bus on several routes in an effort to catch and bring to court those who smoke on buses. The initiative, which has been operating for a number of months, has led to four people being prosecuted and a fifth facing prosecution.
It was initiated, according to Dublin Bus spokesman Mr Christy Dorman, because of the increased number of complaints from passengers about smoking on buses over the past 12 to 18 months. The complaints related both to smoking cigarettes and cannabis.
He said the company had in the past found it difficult to prosecute offenders because the onus of proof rested with it and it required witnesses to mount successful prosecutions. Many passengers were reluctant to tell smokers to put out their cigarettes for fear of reprisal and they were also "afraid to be witnesses".
It was for this reason the company decided to place its own witnesses on buses.