Following a request submitted by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham to the Home Secretary to give Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) greater powers to prevent anti-social behaviour on the region’s transport network, the Home Secretary has now agreed, subject to parliamentary approval.
Extended powers would allow TfGM to apply to the courts for civil injunctions against those involved in nuisance and anti-social behaviour.
With more than 240 million journeys made on the region’s buses and trams each year the chance of being a victim of or witness to ASB remains low, however year-on-year increases have been reported by Metrolink, bus stations and bus services*, with 2,334 incidents reported in 2013/14; 2,862 in ‘14/15; 3,730 in ‘15/16 and 3,984 in ‘16/17.
Between April 2016 and July 2017, 86 assaults were recorded on Metrolink, 46 of which were upon staff, while 165 reports of threatening or abusive behaviour were also recorded.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “Anti-social behaviour is a blight on our communities and the transport networks that serve them.
“We’ve seen a steady increase in the numbers of incidents reported in recent years and I am not prepared to sit back and allow free rein to the small minority of people who think it acceptable to intimidate, threaten or abuse transport workers and commuters.
“That is why I asked the Home Secretary to grant TfGM the power to issue civil injunctions and help them battle the eroding effect that ASB can have on a person’s decision whether or not to use public transport.”
