Dublin Bus: Rising Anti-Social Behavior Despite Security
Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text, focusing on the problem, current responses, adn future plans:
The Problem: Rising Anti-Social Behaviour on Dublin Buses
* Significant Increase: Incidents of anti-social behaviour on Dublin buses have dramatically increased. They rose from 731 in 2021 to 1,033 in 2023, and reached a record high of 1,054 last year (presumably 2024).
* Types of Incidents: The behaviour includes:
* Verbal abuse (name-calling)
* Physical assaults (eggs thrown, violence)
* Vandalism (windows smashed with emergency hammers)
* Stone-throwing
* Fights
* Drug and alcohol use
* Pickpocketing
* Impact:
* Driver distress and fear.
* Disruption to bus services – routes are withdrawn for hours or even the rest of the day.
* Passenger inconvenience and anxiety.
Current Responses
* Security Guards: Dublin Bus introduced security guards on a pilot basis in October (year not specified, but likely 2024). the scheme was extended and the number of teams increased from two to three.
* Positive Impact (but insufficient): Drivers and passengers report feeling safer when security is present. Though, incidents are still on track to match or exceed record levels despite the security measures.
* Central Control: Dublin Bus has a central control room with controllers monitoring buses and coordinating diversions. Controllers make a high volume of calls to drivers (average 500 per shift).
Future Plans
* Dedicated Transport Police Force: The government has committed to introducing a dedicated transport police force.
* Timeline Discrepancies: There’s a difference in desired vs. planned timelines:
* Dublin Bus wants: The force operational by 2026.
* Department of Transport aims: New laws in 2025, force operational by 2027.
* Investment: The Department of Transport has invested over €11 million in public transport safety this year.
* Collaboration: Dublin bus wants to contribute it’s expertise to the development and deployment of the new force, emphasizing they are a bus company, not a security company.
Key Quotes
* Ciara Pender (Driver): “It’s just something that happens…but it completely impacts the whole service.” Highlights the normalization of the issue and its broader consequences.
* Bernard Fox (Central Control Manager): Emphasizes the severity and variety of incidents.
* David boyd (Dublin Bus Director of Risk management): ”We’re not a security company.” Underlines the need for specialized security personnel.