Crime spike: Townsville bus drivers terrorised by gangs of ‘out of control’ youths

Townsville bus drivers have been experiencing a shocking resurgence of anti-social behaviour with reports of ‘large gangs of out-of-control youths’ wreaking havoc on public transport.

Townsville bus drivers have been experiencing a shocking resurgence of anti-social behaviour with reports of “large gangs of out-of-control youths” wreaking havoc on public transport.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) says the number of violent incidents being reported by bus drivers in Townsville are becoming “more frequent” with disturbing reports of youths forcing open bus doors and throwing objects at drivers.

There have been multiple incidents requiring police assistance, including situations where “large gangs of out-of-control youths” are jumping out in front of buses and blocking them from leaving stops.

The union said many local drivers were also being advised to avoid certain areas until anti-social situations were under control.

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TWU’s Queensland state secretary Richard Olsen said they were calling on Translink — who contracts Sunbus for its services in Townsville — to increase customer service officer numbers in the city to keep passengers safe and discourage anti-social behaviour.

“Bus operators and Translink have been too slow to act on this, and drivers continue to be at risk while at work,” he said.

“It’s time for Translink to step up and commit to bus safety and protect drivers.

“There are simple solutions that will protect drivers including the implementation of customer service officers, cashless ticketing systems and full safety screens.”

Transport Workers Union state secretary Richard Olsen. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

A spokesman from Translink said there were currently positions for four customer service officers to patrol across the Townsville bus network.

“We will continue to work with Sunbus to assess the future needs of the program,” he said.

“Translink also funds additional security patrols to protect passengers, bus drivers and buses in some areas in and around Townsville.

“Incidents of anti-social behaviour are rare and public transport remains safe, with the vast majority of 85.17 million bus trips taken in Queensland during the 2020-21 financial year occurring without incident.”

It comes as some bus drivers in Cairns began refusing to carry cash this week following a rise in incidents involving theft and assaults.

Jared Abbott from TWU said cash tins on buses have become an easy target for criminals, with around 15 robberies reported in the Cairns region this month alone.

Originally published as Crime spike: Townsville bus drivers terrorised by gangs of ‘out of control’ youths