Bus safety !

Driving a State Transit Authority bus in some parts of Sydney is fast becoming a dangerous occupation.   Drivers report that they have been spat on, assaulted and at time robbed of their change money by groups of passengers who refuse to pay a fare and often make life uncomfortable for other passengers.

Buses are equipped with video surveillance and " mug shots " from these incidents are now being posted at bus depots to alert drivers of danger when these people board a bus that they are driving.   The Rail Tram and Bus union (RTBU) is now advising drivers not to confront those who simply walk past and decline to pay a fare.   Driver safety is paramount - and they are not required to engage in combat to enforce the rules.

If paying the fare becomes optional, expect the practice to be widely adopted.  All forms of government transport lose money and yet they are vital services.  Certainly the safety of drivers is important, but the state government has a duty to guard it's revenue sources and simply running up the white flag is not the answer.

The troublemakers are a relatively small group and they are prevalent in certain well defined suburbs. The bus system is already covered with video surveillance, hence acts of violence and the refusal to pay fares are recorded evidence to be presented in court.   It is simply a matter of making that court appearance happen !

That will require a close working relationship between the police and the bus system.  It will be necessary for each bus to be installed with a silent alarm which - when activated - alerts the police control room that there is trouble on a bus.   The response ranking needs to be cranked up to ensure that the nearest police patrol cars intercepts the bus and pulls it over - and deals with the offender.

Making the punishment fit the crime is the key to making our bus fleet safer.    These thugs are operating with impunity - because they know that they will get away with it.   The moment there is real fear that a police car will miraculously appear and they will be cuffed and carted off to the charge room - a very different attitude will prevail.

It is simply a matter of treating this problem with the resources it deserves.  Passengers - and their drivers - have a right to a safe journey and the government needs the revenue from bus fares to improve the service.  The people who treat the bus facilities with contempt are law breakers, and applying that law with the severity it requires is the function of both the police and the courts.

As things stand, what is missing is the " fear factor " of getting caught - and facing the consequences !