Brisbane bus drivers slam safety at Chermside Interchange

Drivers who skip bathroom breaks, dodge physical and verbal abuse and deal with serial fare evaders are campaigning for safety upgrades at a major bus interchange.

Bus drivers say Chermside Interchange is a hub for fare evaders and one says he always scans the station for trouble as he pulls in. Picture: AAP/Darren England

DRIVERS say they are afraid to leave buses for bathroom breaks, dodging assaults and constantly in fear for their safety one of Brisbane’s biggest bus interchanges.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) called for submissions from members about safety issues at Chermside and received more than 40 responses in two days.

It followed earlier threats of a boycott after an altercation at the interchange.

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The union has released some of the submissions after the council agreed to conduct a risk assessment based on driver feedback and engage with police on options for the interchange.

A female driver, who described herself as having a small build, wrote that she felt “intimidated” at a number of interchanges and “Chermside would have to top my list”.

“I have felt unsafe there and have refused to even get out of my bus to use the facilities before. I sat in discomfort needing to use a bathroom rather than risk my safety,” she said.

Recently she had no choice and had to leave, and on the walk was abused by a group of people, who she believed were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“I don’t want to be the next victim. There is no way I could defend myself and why should I be unsafe at work? This wasn’t in the job description,” she wrote.

Another driver, a male, stated that Chermside was a “volatile and unpredictable environment” and “not a safe workplace”.

A Brisbane City Council bus travels on Gympie Road, Kedron. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

“Every time I service Chermside now I scan to see what trouble awaits me,” he said.

He recounted a recent incident, which he reported to the council, where he told a group of young people to get off the bus because of continued fare evasion and foul aggressive language and behaviour.

“A male youth as he was leaving the bus flung his elbow back in an attempt to hit me in the head fortunately this time he hit the door,” he said.

“These gangs and fare evaders gather at Chermside because they can.”

RTBU Queensland secretary Tom Brown took the submissions to a series of meetings with the council in their campaign to “clean up” Chermside Interchange.

“They (the council) were taken aback because they were of the view that Chermside security didn’t need to be upgraded,” he said.

He said the response had been “amazing” with 40 submissions in two days that detailed drivers being abused and passengers chroming or on other drugs or alcohol.

“One guy said the chromers got on his bus and when he finished chroming trying to ignite the canister,” he said.

“That has hit a raw nerve with me and other drivers, someone trying to start a fire on a bus, given what’s happened.”

Deputy mayor and public transport boss Krista Adams said the council would discuss the issues with the Queensland Police Service and promised a risk assessment on the interchange. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

Mr Brown said the union wanted more of the council’s security guards on patrol, more Senior Network Officers to tackle fare evasion and an increased police presence.

Brisbane City Council’s public transport boss and deputy mayor Krista Adams said the council had met with the RTBU to discuss their concerns.

“At this meeting Council advised it would engage with Queensland Police Service to discuss a potential increase in patrols in the area and would also undertake a risk assessment based on driver feedback,” she said.

She said it followed earlier meetings and a Queensland Industrial Relations Commission hearing last Friday, sparked by an alleged incident at the Chermside interchange involving a driver and a member of the public.

“Following the RTBU’s claims, Brisbane City Council reviewed CCTV which revealed the operator left the bus, approached a member of the public and initiated physical contact with that person,” she said.

The Queensland Police Service has been approached for comment.