Public Transport Security Reaching Crisis Point

The NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union is calling on the NSW Government to address failing security measures across the NSW transport network following recent attacks on transport workers including a group of thugs giving a train driver a broken nose and graffiti vandals holding up a train and threatening staff while they painted it.

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens said the Transport Minister must step up and introduce measures which guarantee the safety of NSW transport workers and commuters.

“These horrifying attacks on transport workers must be stopped.

“In the last few weeks alone we have seen at least three incidents which have left one train driver with a broken nose, a number of guards with facial injuries, another guard injured by a thrown fire extinguisher and other workers threatened and bullied while vandals held up their train.

“Against all good advice, when the Coalition Government came to office they slashed security – replacing Transit Officers with fewer Police officers.

“The Police have struggled to fill their complement and as a result we have a significant deficit of security on the network. The 600 Transit Officers who worked exclusively on the trains, have been replaced by only around 400 Police officers who work across trains, buses and ferries.

“Cleary the Government’s security plan is a dismal failure and the Minister must immediately move to protect her staff and the travelling public.

”Security is reaching crisis point.

”Other cuts to the CCTV monitoring positions and stripping transport workers of car parking are exacerbating the growing security concerns for workers”

Mr Claassens said a survey released by the NRMA today revealed security as the number one concern for commuters – for the second year in a row.

“It’s no wonder commuters don’t feel safe catching a train when security measures are failing so badly,” Mr Claassens said.

“If the Transport Minister can’t protect her own workers, how will she protect the millions of commuters that use the network every day?”