Some $2,000 worth of damage was caused to a public bus yesterday after a bottle was thrown at its back window.

The incident happened shortly before 8 a.m. in Bailey's Bay, near Duck's Puddle Drive.

Sources told The Royal Gazette the bottle was thrown by a group of unruly CedarBridge Academy students after students on the bus threw something out of a window at them.

But Police would only confirm that the incident involved "unruly students'' on a bus.

Spokesperson Evelyn James Barnett said Police found the bus stopped in the westbound lane.

"Its rear window was blown out and a large amount of broken glass was seen on the road directly behind the bus,'' she stated. "A group of school students were standing around the bus and inquiries were conducted, while traffic was diverted around the bus and glass.

"From initial accounts it was alleged that bottles had been thrown at the bus by school students who were waiting by the roadside. None of the students were able to identify the bottle-throwers.'' The incident is under investigation by Police and the Public Transportation Board.

When contacted yesterday, PTB director Herman Basden confirmed that someone from outside threw a bottle through the back window of the bus.

"As far as we know, no-one was injured,'' Mr. Basden said.

But he noted that the window will have to be replaced at a cost of just under $2,000.

And he pointed out that the incident could have cost someone their life.

"I'm very much concerned,'' he said. "People don't seem to realise that this is not the way to act when things go slightly wrong. I believe we live in a civilised community and there's ways set up for you to resolve your problems.

"They must when they do things like this, or are even thinking about doing it, think about the responsibility of the driver who has the lives of these passengers in his hand. They have to be careful or their silly actions will cause the death of someone.'' He stressed that whoever was responsible should have to formally apologise and pay for the damage.

Education Minister Jerome Dill also condemned the incident.

"This issue is serious,'' he said. "When you get missiles being thrown at a bus in which there are school children, the individual, whoever they may be, should be dealt with severely. Because what they have done is endangered the lives of people on that bus. The missile could have killed somebody.'' TRANSPORATION TRA