A Whangārei bus route has been temporarily changed for safety reasons after multiple incidents of rocks being thrown at buses, shattering windows.

Northland Regional Council’s transport manager, Chris Powell, said the incidents happened on Matai Street in Ōtangarei, with rocks first thrown on Saturday and Monday. Unfortunately, the attacks didn’t stop there, with several more occurring throughout the week, including one today.

Powell said the situation has been unsettling for both drivers and passengers, especially after two particularly alarming incidents.

“We take this very seriously because, in both cases, there were passengers on board. These incidents could have easily led to someone getting hurt—either our drivers or the people using our service. Thankfully, no one was injured,” he said.

To keep everyone safe, the council made the call to temporarily reroute the Route Four bus, avoiding Matai Street and instead looping around William Jones Drive.

Powell acknowledged this change would be inconvenient for some regular passengers but said safety had to come first.

“We have a responsibility to both our drivers and passengers to make sure they’re traveling in a safe environment, and that’s why we’ve made this decision today,” he explained.

It’s been about a decade since similar rock-throwing incidents were reported in the area. Back then, the council and bus operator Ritchies worked with the community to highlight how such actions could put public transport services at risk.

Authorities are now looking into the incidents, and police have been contacted for comment.