Naas Garda community bus used to rescue family from domestic violence situation

A Garda community bus based in Naas helped transport a family from a domestic violence situation, it was revealed at the latest Joint Policing Committee meeting.
The vehicle, attached to the fleet of vehicles at Naas Garda Station, is believed to be the only marked police bus in the EU which is wheelchair accessible.

Refuge
Chief Supt John Scanlan revealed the community bus was recently used to “transfer a family seeking refuge from doestic violence”.
No further information was given about the incident from the senior officer.
It is believed a parent and a number of young children were carried in the bus rather than separated in different patrol cars.
Maintaining social distance between gardaí and the family due to Covid-19 concerns may also have been a factor.
The community bus is usually used to assist wheelchair users to attend events and is also available to other groups in the community who cannot afford to hire a private transport. The bus also ferries players to late night football leagues organised by An Garda Síochána and the FAI for young people in communities.
It was also used to bring young people to a boxing event in the National Stadium organised by Kildare boxer Eric Donovan

Launched
The community bus was launched in December after an initial idea by Community Garda Gary Cogan.
Councillors ‌in Naas Municipal District agreed to allocate money from local property tax to buy the vehicle and handed it over to Naas gardai.
Gardaí insisted that the vehicle must be accessible to all sectors of the community, including wheelchair users or people with mobility issues.