Three day operation: Anti-social behaviour crackdown on public buses
Anti-social behaviour on public buses will be targeted with a three day major operation in Darwin and Palmerston.
Anti-social behaviour on public buses will be targeted with a three day major operation in Darwin and Palmerston.
The crackdown starts today.
Over the next three days Transit Officers, Wilson Security, NT Police, Family and Youth Support officers and Student Engagement Officers will flood the bus network.
Anyone deemed to be engaging in anti-social behaviour will be directed to leave bus interchanges or stop their inappropriate behaviour.
Where necessary Transit officers will also be issuing on-the-spot fines, arresting and detaining offenders if they have reasonable ground to believe they have committed an offence and seize dangerous articles from someone who has been arrested.
The NT Government said there will be a focus on known hot spots and problematic bus routes with the operation continuing until the last buses of the evening.
Minister for Infrastructure, Bill Yan said the crackdowns are an integral part of improving safety on the bus network for drivers and passengers.
“Everyone deserves to get to their destination with safety and respect on our public transport network and these operations help achieve that,” Mr Yan said.
He said the last operation saw a marked drop in anti-social behaviour across the bus network after the first day.
“The high visibility strategy sends a clear message that anti-social behaviour in any form will not be tolerated,” Mr Yan said.
He said the NT Government’s recent strengthening of powers for Transit Officers were providing additional safety measures for bus drivers and passengers.
“There is a clear standard that we expect people to have when using and sharing public transport,” he said.
“These new powers help our officers do their job to enforce them.
“This is a further example of holding offenders to account.”
Mr Yan said the NT Government is delivering a raft of bus safety reform initiatives, as part of the Reducing Crime Strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour, improve safety and enhance service delivery:
•Installing safety screens for every driver
•closing problematic bus interchanges,
•expanding CCTV at known hotspots,
•enhancing on-board duress alarms and direct radio links to Transit Officers,
•launching a new and improved NT Bus Tracker App,
•Improving driver safety by removing the need to carry cash
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