Vandals target driverless bus at Inverness Campus

The bus pictured behind fencing before vandals later damaged it

Vandals have damaged a driverless bus which is part of a trial of autonomous vehicles in the Highlands.

The 10-seater Aurrigo Auto-Shuttle was parked at the University of the Highlands and Islands' campus in Inverness when it was targeted overnight on Friday into Saturday.

Public transport group Hitrans said the incident had been reported to police.

It said engineers had repaired the bus and it was available again for the trial.

The testing also involves a four-seater Aurrigo Auto-Pod.

It has been offered to passengers on a 750m-long route between Inverness Airport and nearby Dalcross railway station.

Hitrans said it was disappointed the bus at Inverness Campus was vandalised.

A spokesperson said: "This has been reported to the police and we hope to see this incident investigated and the person responsible held to account for their crime.

"Engineers from Aurrigo have repaired the vehicle to allow the trial to commence."

Vandalised bikes

Last month, Hitrans relaunched an electric bike scheme £100,000-worth of repairs - and with smaller front baskets fitted to bikes to discourage "joyriding".

It suspended its Hi-Bike service in Inverness in late June after just six of its 56 bikes in the city were left useable.

Some bikes and docking stations were damaged by people trying to wrench the bikes free to then taken them on joyrides with a passenger sitting in the front basket.

The scheme has been reintroduced in phases with extra security measures in place.