Travelsafe scheme launches

A new pilot scheme in Greater Manchester has been launched aiming to boost the ability to tackle and prevent crime and antisocial behaviour on the region’s bus and tram network. Under the Travelsafe Partnership, a dedicated team of 16 police constables, police community support officers, special constables and security personnel will provide regular patrols on the region’s networks for the next three years. Led by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Greater Manchester Police (GMP), the scheme will use crime and antisocial behaviour data from contributing operators (Metrolink RATP Dev Ltd (MRDL), FirstBus and Stagecoach) to target patrols in hotspot areas at key times and support front line staff.

Where appropriate, the partnership will seek to use legal powers to ban offenders from public transport and deliver restorative justice schemes following prosecution. The pilot will also focus on preventative measures and youth education. It will initially run for three years but will be subject to formal annual reviews and regular scrutiny by a strategy group made up of members from organisations involved.

Operations Manager, First Manchester, Vicky Tomlinson, said, ‘We’re delighted to work together with our transport partners to help keep public transport safe. The Travelsafe Partnership will play an important role in addressing those incidents that do occur but also importantly to help communicate the wider positive messages about public transport to young people.’

Operations Director at Stagecoach Manchester, Matt Davies, said, ‘We are pleased to support the Travelsafe Partnership launched by Transport for Greater Manchester. Safety is our number one priority and while instances of crime and antisocial behaviour on our buses are low the Travelsafe Partnership will provide a reassuring presence for our customers. We take our responsibility to the local community very seriously and believe that this pilot scheme will improve standards even further.’

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