A strike by Belfast bus drivers continued today when they rejected management proposals aimed at ending the two-day dispute.
Unions representing the drivers said after a meeting with Translink management that not enough has been done to protect the Citybus workforce from attack.
Increasing violence against drivers in recent weeks has led to the withdrawal of services from parts of the city.
This has led to calls for a special transport police unit to be set up to tackle the spiralling assaults.
The unofficial walkout which began without warning yesterday, caused chaos in the city centre, with hundreds of bargain-hunters left stranded.
Translink head of marketing Mr Ciaran Rogan said the strike has now spread to some Ulsterbus services on the Falls Road in west Belfast and the Lisburn Road in south Belfast.
After this morning's meeting unions said they have put a number of proposals to the company and are awaiting a reply.
Talks to end the strike were completed tonight with both management and unions saying significant progress had been made.
Mr Rogan said he hoped they were moving towards a resolution of the dispute.
A representative of the Transport and General Workers Union Mr John Coffey said he believed management had agreed to the demands on financial support for drivers who had suffered assault.
"We are going to different depots to explain to the drivers what happened and what offers have been put by the company."
He said Translink had agreed to the setting up of a taskforce to review all aspects of assault pay procedure.
"These proposals have been offered to us on the understanding that buses will go back as soon as possible and at the latest tomorrow," he added.
PA