TransLink and Brisbane City Council respond to bus driver safety demands

The two levels of government responsible for Brisbane’s bus network have responded to drivers’ concerns about safety amid rising attacks on the frontline transport workers.

AS ATTACKS on Brisbane bus drivers rise, the two levels of government responsible for the network have responded to drivers’ concerns about safety.

Scores of bus drivers rallied outside the Brisbane deputy mayor Krista Adams’ office this week with a list of demands to improve safety on the bus network.

Last month, The Courier-Mail revealed attacks against bus drivers had risen by about 40 per cent, and there have been high profile incidents in the intervening weeks.

Rail Tram and Bus Union Queensland secretary Tom Brown listed drivers’ wishes, three for City Hall and two for the State Government, to improve safety for drivers.

Brisbane City Council, through Transport for Brisbane, operates the city’s bus services under a contract with TransLink.

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“As a group, what we want is the same level of safety and security that other workers have, particularly other council workers have,” Mr Brown said at the rally.

“You couldn’t walk into a library and assault the librarian, you couldn’t walk into Krista Adams’ office there and assault the receptionist, you just could not do it.

“That’s the level of protection that we want.”

He said the council needed to double the number of security guards it hired, double the number of rapid response vehicles it had, and admit its half-width safety screens did not work.

He also demanded the State Government double its Senior Network Officers (SNOs), who can issue fines, detain and handcuff offenders and take passenger details, from 50 to 100.

He said the sentences for attacks on drivers should also be doubled, a change the deputy mayor also called for earlier this week.

Rail Tram and Bus Union Queensland secretary Tom Brown. Picture: Ellen-Maree Elliot

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said the council was investing in keeping drivers safe, which included installing anti-shatter windows, duress alarms, CCTV and new driver-protection barriers.

“I want the union to know that I have heard what they have to say, and I will continue to stand up for their safety and hope that the State Government will do the same,” she said.

Cr Adams said she respected the drivers’ right to protest but suggested they had rallied “at the wrong location”.

“They should have been rallying at the State Government,” she said.

“It’s the State Government Senior Network Officers who have the power to issue fines, detain an offender and take people’s details.

“Council will continue to call on the State to provide these officers.”

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said she wanted the union to know she had “heard what they have to say”. (AAP Image/Josh Woning)

A spokesman for Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath confirmed earlier this week she was considering the proposal to increase sentences for attacks on bus drivers.

A TransLink spokesman said the Queensland Government was “serious” about providing a safe work environment for bus drivers, other frontline transport workers and passengers.

“TransLink has committed to hiring up to 21 more SNOs to join our current pool of 50, who work across the South East Queensland network,” he said.

“While Senior Network Officers play an important role in safety on public transport, this is a complex community crime issue involving the community and multiple agencies.

“Queensland Police Service remains the lead authority for responding to and investigating any assaults or anti-social behaviour.”