Residents in sections of Clarendon have, in recent times, been gripped with the fear of being robbed while travelling on mini-buses, THE STAR has learnt.

A number of recent incidents have now left persons from various communities in the parish to consider their options before deciding to use that mode of transportation.

"We are aware of a number of cases in which men have robbed people on these buses and we also are hearing that persons are somewhat afraid to travel on these buses," a detective corporal attached to the Area Three police said when THE STAR contacted the headquarters yesterday. According to the lawman, he was aware of at least three incidents in the last two weeks.

Head of the Clarendon police, Superintendent Dathan Henry could not be reached for comment as several calls to his cellular phone went unanswered.

In one of the latest such incidents, gunmen reportedly robbed passengers and the conductor on a bus which was travelling from May Pen to Frankfield.

The bus is said to have also overturned when the driver jumped from the vehicle after being attacked by one of the robbers.

One passenger who witnessed the ordeal, Mrs Lucky* said being a part of the incident has left her shaken up to say the least.

According to Lucky, a woman came into the bus asking the driver to make a stop in Bucknor, also in the parish, to pick up a girlfriend.

After stopping at the bus stop where the woman's friend was supposed to have been waiting, Lucky said the driver was asked to drive through a lane to pick up the other woman. While a number of passengers objected, Lucky told THE STAR that the woman got off the bus and walked down the lane.

As the driver began to drive off, Lucky said three armed men jumped into the bus and ordered the driver to stop which he did.

cash and other items

Lucky said two of the men then ordered a number of passengers and the conductor off the bus before proceeding to rob them of cash and other items. Things got a little more scary, according to Lucky, when the driver tried to escape the situation not realising that the third robber was still on the bus.

She said the thief attacked the driver and stabbed him in the head. The driver is said to have then jumped from the bus which lost control and overturned.

Lucky said she climbed out of the bus and was greeted by the thief who attacked the driver. The robber took her cellphone she told THE STAR.

The incident was reported to the May Pen police who say investigations are ongoing and it is being theorised that the robbery was planned. Lucky agrees. "The girl came from the same area as the gunmen, the whole thing was false, she was trying to get the driver to go in the lane where they could rob us." she reasoned. Meanwhile, the detective corporal from the Area Three police said the police will be working towards locating the men responsible for these incidents.